Ripples
by Caike
Summary: The effects of a single ripple can change the waves of a pond forever. See how a single change to the beginning of the story can have major consequences. What if Hinata had been placed on Team 7? Read to find out. NaruHina, rated T for now, M later.
1. Flutter

Author's note: Been a long time, huh? Looks like years, if my profile isn't lying to me. Well, to all of you who read and subscribed, I'm back! As for why I haven't continued my other stories... well, canonical issues aside, I feel like they've run their course. That said, I hope you won't mind me starting a new story, with all sorts of fresh ideas for me to eventually abandon.

Just kidding, hopefully.

Without further ado, I give you _Ripples_.

Disclaimer: Myeh myeh myeh don't own it.

Introduction:

Time is a fluid construct. We tend to perceive it as a river; it ebbs and flows, sometimes dwindling to a steady trickle while other times, it courses with fervent zeal, sweeping away all within its purview, which includes, of course, everything. We are at its mercy: all we can do is make the best of the current.

That is a falsehood.

If we must liken to time to a body of water – and of course, we must – then it is more akin to a vast lake. The waters undulate with nearly imperceptible rhyme or reason. Most would consider it purely chaotic.

This too is a falsehood.

Causality dictates that all movement must emerge from other movement, leading back to one original cause – a single event that set those still waters moving into perpetual disorder. Even a pebble thrown carelessly into the center of the lake sets off countless ripples, which themselves generate further more ripples, on and on until there is no trace of the original state.

But what if it landed_ off_-center? What if, during this flight, a sudden gust of wind brushed the pebble, forever altering its course and sending entirely different ripples throughout the body of water?

What indeed.

Let us turn now our eyes to the village of Konoha, some twelve years after the attack of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. Tune our senses to the brain waves of one Hatake Kakashi on a pivotal night and cross reference by the sound of a gust of wind...

* * *

><p>Chapter 1: Flutter<p>

Inside a modestly small, lightly furnished, altogether nondescript apartment sat Hatake Kakashi at his desk. It had been another mostly sleepless night, same as the last. He had woken up at three in the morning after only three hours of sleep. Truth be told, Kakashi had not enjoyed a good night's rest in thirteen years. He did not lament this fact, however. Subsisting on little sleep was an advantageous trait for a shinobi and it let him spend his time more efficiently. Tonight, quite a bit of work sat before him. He really shouldn't have procrastinated, he knew, but how could he resist the allure of reading _Icha Icha Paradise?_

_A tad warm in here,_ he thought, pulling at the collar of his shirt. Eying the window to his left, he rose from his seat, lifted the window, and leisurely returned to his seat.

_Enough stalling. This evaluation is due at daybreak. _He turned his attention towards the papers in front of him. Three of them, separate from the large stack on the right end of the desk, bore a name each: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke. Starting today, they were to be his team. He didn't contemplate the matter too hard. The Third Hokage was wise and invested enough in this generation of genin that Kakashi trusted his judgment implicitly. The Third thought that these three would be well suited to Kakashi and Kakashi did not disagree. He would train them to the best of his abilities.

Provided, of course, that they passed.

While he didn't like to pass judgment without evidence, Kakashi reasoned that statistically speaking, they had very little chance of success. Some jounin – Asuma – called him a bit harsh for this, but Kakashi had a different perspective: why should anyone who cannot grasp his one requirement be allowed to wield the power that comes with being a shinobi? It would be like giving a knife to a child: no one would blame the child; they would blame the idiot who gave them a deadly weapon.

But maybe these children were different. Sasuke was (with one notable exception) the last survivor of the Uchiha Massacre and Kakashi had learned in an emergency meeting a few nights ago that Naruto, who had seemed hopeless despite excellent genetics, had managed to learn a B-rank ninjutsu and utterly flatten a chuunin instructor. Both came from tragic circumstances and both had the potential for greatness. As for the third teammate...

Kakashi's eye caught a sudden movement in the documents on his desk and immediately held down the two profiles he'd been inspecting. Wind passed through the opened window. The third paper fluttered through the air, landing face down on the desk, while the topmost papers from the stack at the edge of the desk were scattered on the floor.

_I suppose this is why people use paperweights._ Kakashi sighed, bending down to pick up the documents, but stopped as he examined the nearest one. After a moment, he took a knife from a nearby pouch, drew a minor slit across his finger, and began forming hand seals.

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu, (Summoning Technique)_"he muttered, planting his palm on the floor. Accompanied by a puff of smoke, eight dogs materialized in front of him.

"Yo!" greeted Pakkun from atop Bull's head.

"Hello, Pakkun," replied Kakashi. "Would you please wake the other jounin and alert the Hokage? Tell them to meet me in the main jounin lounge in five." Pakkun nodded and the hounds dispersed, rapidly bounding out of the window.

The papers fluttered idly.

* * *

><p>"For a second there, I thought you'd be late to your own meeting," Asuma remarked, grinning as he entered the lounge.<p>

Kakashi waved at his friend. "Well, this is a bit important. I don't think we'd have time to get sidetracked."

"It better be," said Kurenai, plodding groggily towards them. She rubbed at her eye with one hand, accenting the bags under them. Kurenai, who had only been recently promoted to Jounin, was still not quite used to Kakashi's sleep schedule. "Good morning," she added with a yawn.

"Kurenai-san." Kakashi nodded in a welcome.

"Hey, Kurenai!" said Asuma, waving in a wide arc.

"Hello, Asuma," she replied, a smile encroaching upon her lips. It retreated as she returned her attention to Kakashi. "Why did you have Bull wake me? He has the loudest bark. I thought we were being invaded."

"Bull likes ladies," Kakashi explained as if it were obvious.

"Come now, Kurenai-san, that's no way to act!" said Guy, startling Kurenai as he appeared behind her. "You're a lovely young rose! You're in the springtime of your youth! This is the time to take life by the reins and ride as fast as you can!" he finished with a booming laugh.

"Guy-san," Kurenai uttered, turning around, "Why are you here? Isn't this meeting for the jounin who are leading new genin teams?"

"There are extenuating circumstances," Kakashi explained. "It'll all be explained momentarily."

"I would hope that you have a good reason for waking us at this hour," came the soft rasp of the Third Hokage as he entered, smiling and looking completely rested. "What concerns you, Kakashi?"

Kakashi nodded. "I was reviewing the team I had been assigned as per your command, Hokage-sama, when I came across this." He held up a folder with the words "New Genin Roster."

Asuma raised an eyebrow, idly pulling out a cigarette from his flak jacket's pouch.. "We all got one, Kakashi. Do you procrastinate so much that you didn't notice until tonight or is there something more?"

Kakashi pushed on. "I believe that the rosters need to be restructured."

Kurenai and Asuma puffed up in anticipation of their respective frustrated sigh, but Hiruzen raised a hand and they were still. "Kakashi," he said gently, "I reviewed those rosters myself. Do you believe I have misplaced my judgment?"

Kakashi gave a light shake of his head. "No sir. I normally acquiesce to your wisdom, but I believe that I have a perspective that you may not have examined."

"You often seem to think you do," returned the Third jocularly, putting his pipe to his mouth. He gestured, beckoning Kakashi to continue.

"Don't worry. This won't require any major shifting. It only requires one substitution, as a matter of fact. I propose that my team consist of Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Hyuuga Hinata."

A brief silence. Kurenai looked first to Guy as she realized why he had been called, then to the Hokage, who remained silent, before speaking up. "But Hinata has been assigned to my team."

Asuma's gaze jumped from his friend to the woman he'd been spending some time with lately. Though they were placid, Asuma recognized the looks in both their eyes quite well. _First the invitation, then the return fire. This'll be a messy one. _

"Yes, I know," said Kakashi. "But I believe she should be on mine."

Kurenai's brow furrowed by the smallest amount. "Why? My team is composed of trackers. Yours is composed of-"

"The best in the class, the worst in the class, and the book-smart one," Kakashi interrupted. "I understand the rationale very well. We use it all the time when selecting genin. But consider this." He pulled Hinata's transcript from the folder. "Hinata is of the prestigious Hyuuga clan. She has great potential, especially for taijutsu, but is - according to Iruka-san's reports - very shy and unsure of herself." He exchanged the paper in his hand for the file on Sasuke. "We all know the story behind Sasuke. He's very talented and has great room to grow. If his Sharingan develops, he will have access to incredible genjutsu ability, in addition to all of the Sharingan's other gifts." Kakashi drew Naruto's file. "And of course, there is Naruto. Naruto has a great power within him."

"And no indication that he can use it," Kurenai cut in.

"Did he not flatten Mizuki?" Kakashi returned, silencing her. "But Naruto is not why I am here. I believe that Hinata would provide a good balance to Team 7. The current third member of Team 7 is to be Haruno Sakura, but I believe that she would do best in your care, Kurenai-san. She has the ability to become a fantastic sensor ninja and would do well in your tracking squad."

"But she also displays powerful chakra molding potential, especially as regards genjutsu," Kurenai responded, then immediately regretted it as she predicted the next words from Kakashi's mouth. Asuma tensed, having seen her error as well.

Kakashi flashed his trademark one-eyed smile. "Well, Kurenai-san," he said slowly and she hated how it seemed like he was savoring it. "Shouldn't you, our _resident_ _genjutsu specialist, _be her teacher, in that case?" Before she could make it apparent that she did not have a retort, Kakashi continued, "Or are you afraid of having both of Konoha's powerful eyes under my command?" For a split second, Kurenai looked outraged, but Kakashi chuckled. "I'm joking, of course. Guy has Hinata's cousin on his team. Guy, what do you think?"

Guy looked confused for a split second, apparently having forgotten he was called here personally, then returned to reality. "Er, I'm sure that any cousin of my adorable Neji will do fine in any team!" he said, composing himself, "But if I had to guess, Kakashi's team would be best for her."

"He's just saying that so he can have another game for him and his 'rival' to compete in!" Kurenai barked, "And it's all moot anyway! Kakashi has never even _passed _a team; why should _he_ get his way?"

"Every team has potential, Kurenai," Hiruzen spoke softly, giving her a sidelong glance. She froze, then bowed her head. "I have considered both your arguments and have come to a decision." He took a puff from his pipe that seemed to last forever. "Henceforth, I am reassigning Hyuuga Hinata to Team 7 and Haruno Sakura to Team 8. I will send word to Iruka before the announcement of the rosters."

Kakashi bowed and said, "Thank you, Hokage-sama." After a moment, Kuernai followed suit. Unnoticed, Asuma breathed a sigh of relief.

"How about we all get some sleep? You'll be taking command of new teams, after all," said the Third, strolling out of the lounge.

"Not me! I'm going to run a hundred laps around Konoha!" declared Guy, striking a pose. "Care to join me, Kakashi?"

"I've still got some things to do," Kakashi said, waving him off.

"Your loss! This just means I'll be better prepared for our next bout!" Guy raced off, laughing to himself.

Kakashi chuckled as he began to leave. Of course, the "things" he had to do included only reading _Icha Icha Paradise _and maybe making some miso soup with eggplant, but he didn't feel like racing around the village at this hour. He gave a small glance back to Kurenai, who had been approached by Asuma. _I hope this was worth it,_ he mused, and continued his exit.

Asuma casually flicked the butt of his cigarette out the window. "So, want to grab a late night snack, or something? You don't seem to be up to sleeping at the moment," he said. When her sour expression didn't fade, he put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, don't beat yourself up about it. Kakashi is a legendary wordsmith. I'm sure Sakura will be fine on your team."

Kurenai's lips curved upwards. "Yeah, probably." She caught Asuma's eye. "What was that you were saying about a late night snack?"

Asuma grinned. A breeze blew in from the window.

* * *

><p>Uzumaki Naruto sat in the main academy classroom, a miserable expression adorning his bruised face. It had all started out so well: he had put on his forehead protector for the first time as a true genin, he was about to receive his team assignment, and his crush Haruno Sakura had been looking like she wanted to sit with him. Fast forward a few minutes and now he had been humiliated, embarrassed by an unintentional kiss – the thought of it made him retch – with the biggest jerk in the class, Uchiha Sasuke, and to top it all off Sakura had pummeled him for his mistake.<p>

_Can't get any worse, at least,_ he thought idly.

Hyuuga Hinata sat a few rows back bearing a similar expression, but tinged with sympathy instead of wounded pride. She had seen the whole incident and was helpless to stop it. _Poor Naruto-kun..._ she mused. _I wish I could go comfort him, but I can't, I..._ Her thoughts lit her cheeks up with a light blush.

Uchiha Sasuke sat stoic as ever despite the disgust he had just experienced. Iruka-sensei had just revealed that the recent graduates would be sorted into different teams and was announcing the rosters. _Feh. Needless distraction. _All Sasuke wanted was to get his jounin commander, be taught powerful jutsu, and be done with everything else. Whatever "teammates" he would be given would only get in his way. He simply did not have time for this.

"Okay, next is Team 7," Iruka announced. "Hyuuga Hinata!"

Hinata perked up at her name, shifting her gaze to her teacher. _I wonder who'll be paired with me... I hope they're nice._

"Next, Uzumaki Naruto!"

_Huh?_ Naruto snapped to attention. _Damn it! I wanted to be with Sakura-chan! _He fumed, chastising himself for his earlier taunt at fate. _Now I'm stuck with this weird, dark girl. Well, now it _really_ can't get any worse._

Meanwhile, Hinata, unnoticed, blossomed into a bright tomato red. Sweat trailed down her face.. _I..._ her thoughts were disjointed; panicked. _I'm with Naruto-kun? Me? And him? Oh my, oh goodness, oh dear..._

"Lastly, Uchiha Sasuke!"

"_What?" _Naruto blurted, practically leaping out of his seat. "Iruka-sensei, what the hell is this? How can you put _me, _an _amazing_ shinobi on such a lame team with-" he thrust a finger at Sasuke, "With _this _jerk?"

"Don't call Sasuke-kun a jerk!" Sakura interjected. "You should be honored to be on a team with Sasuke-kun!"

"Believe me, I'd _love_ to trade!" Naruto returned.

_Wait, who did Iruka-sensei say? _Hinata had only just returned to reality.

Iruka raised an eyebrow. "Out of all 27 students, Sasuke's grades were not only the top of the class; they were _perfect."_

_Oh, it's Sasuke,_ thought Hinata.

"Yours, meanwhile, were dead last." Iruka leaned towards Naruto, a hint of condescension in his voice as he said, "You understand that we need to balance the teams, right?"

"_Tch,_" said Sasuke, still facing forwards. "Just don't get in my way, _dead last._"

"_What _did you call me?" Naruto barked, shaking with rage.

"Give it a rest, Naruto!" Sakura yelled, pounding Naruto with her fists. Hinata merely looked on, worried.

_Let's hope this'll work out,_ thought Iruka, also worried. "Alright, this afternoon we'll introduce your jounin sensei, so just take a break until then."

* * *

><p>"This is the <em>worst!<em>" Naruto fumed out loud as he stomped around town. "Stuck with that jerk Sasuke and the weirdest girl in the class!" He sighed. "Whatever. I'll just have to do better than both of them and show our sensei that I'm amazing. They'll make me Hokage in no time!"

Hinata, meanwhile, sat at a park bench, enjoying the sights of nature. The birds cheeped and fluttered cheerfully around her. The tranquility made her smile. She drew in a deep breath. _Okay. I am on a team with Naruto-kun. This is happening. _She exhaled. _I can do this. No, I _have _to do this. I can't drag him down. I have to do my best! _"I can do this," she said to herself.

"Do what?" said Naruto, arriving at the bench.

Hinata squeaked in surprise, the blush returning in full force. "Eh? I-I was just saying that... I can be a good genin!" _What kind of stupid answer is that? _She mentally kicked herself.

"Oh," said Naruto, apparently accepting it. "What're you doing here, anyway?"

"J-just r-relaxing," Hinata answered quietly, clearly not relaxed at all. Naruto did not seem to take notice. "Um, if I m-may ask, what are you doing here, N-Naruto-kun?"

Naruto knew enough that it would be mean to tell her that he was venting about being forced onto a team with her and Sasuke. "Just walking around. What's it to you, anyway?"

"Just wondering..." she muttered, looking at the ground.

"Whatever," said Naruto, sitting by her, oblivious to the red on her face.

An awkward minute passed. "S-so..." Hinata began, trying to break the silence.

"What do you think of Sasuke?" Naruto asked suddenly.

"Huh? Sasuke-kun?" She thought for a moment. "W-well, I don't kn-know him very well, but he seems very smart and, um, talented and... determined..." she trailed off.

Naruto scowled. _Great, another one who's in love with him._ He crossed his arms.

Hinata noticed his displeasure. "But Naruto-kun, I..." The words wouldn't come.

"What?" asked Naruto.

"I think..." Hinata tried desperately to gather courage.

"You think what? Spit it out!" Naruto urged.

Finally, she blurted, "I think the same of y-"

"Ugh!" Naruto suddenly doubled over, clutching his stomach.

"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" Hinata asked, leaning towards him.

"H-hold that thought!" He sprang off the bench, racing away at top speed. _Nature calls!_ he thought urgently.

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata reached an arm out, but he was already long gone. She bowed her head in shame. _I screwed up again... he probably hates me now._

A few moments later, Sasuke walked by, pausing as he reached the bench. "Hm? Hinata?"

"Sasuke-kun?" Hinata looked surprised. "Are you looking for Naruto-kun? He was just here..."

"No. Why would I be?" Sasuke asked, taking a seat.

Hinata shrugged. Another awkward minute intruded upon their company. "I feel bad for Naruto-kun..." Hinata mused.

"Why's that?" Sasuke asked, only half-interested.

"He just seems... so lonely."

"What do you mean?"

"He has no family. Everyone makes fun of him. I think he acts out because he's looking for someone to acknowledge him." Hinata's expression had become sorrowful. She breathed deep, not knowing why she was divulging so much of her thoughts to a guy with whom she'd barely even shared an academy classroom. "My parents and I don't always have a perfect relationship, but I still love and cherish them. To be that alone in the world... I can't even imagine how terrible it would be. I know that I couldn't take it like he does." Hinata forced a smile onto her face. "I'm sorry, I must be boring you. I don't mean to ramble this much..."

Expressionless, Sasuke contemplated her words. After a moment, he replied, "You're right."

"Huh?" Hinata's eyes opened in surprise. She hadn't thought that Sasuke was even listening to her babble.

"That sort of loneliness is unbearable. It is the worst feeling in the entire world," Sasuke said quietly. Leaves swirled around them from a sudden gust. After it passed, Sasuke stood and turned to look at Hinata. "You have good eyes, Hinata."

"Oh, th-thank you," Hinata said quietly, hands balled on her thighs.

"I'm going," said Sasuke, starting to walk.

"S-see you this afternoon," Hinata called after him.

"Sure," said Sasuke with a small wave.

After he was out of sight, Hinata craned her neck towards the sky, watching the birds fly by. Her expression had changed: it now had the smallest hint of determination. "I _can_ do this," she declared.

She waited for Naruto to return, but after an hour or so, she gave up and headed back to the academy.

* * *

><p>Naruto poked his head into the hallway of the academy, irately scanning the hall.<p>

"N-Naruto-kun, maybe you should just sit down..." Hinata offered.

"Why is our Team 7 sensei _so damn late?"_ he griped. "All of the other teams have gone off with their sensei and Iruka-sensei even left..." A mischievous grin worked its way onto Naruto's face. Eagerly, he grabbed an eraser from the blackboard.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Hinata asked nervously as she watched Naruto climb a table to place the eraser atop the door.

"That's what you get for being late!" Naruto exclaimed gleefully, leaping down.

_We could get in trouble for this,_ thought Hinata, brows furrowed.

"Pfft, like any jounin would fall for such a stupid booby-trap," Sasuke scoffed.

As if on cue, a hand reached in and pulled the door, triggering the eraser's fall onto Kakashi's head. He blinked in surprise as chalk dust settled around him.

Naruto laughed at his sensei's misfortune. "You fell for it, you fell for it!" he cheered.

_Oh, we're going to be yelled at..._ Hinata faced the floor, twiddling her thumbs.

Sasuke raised an inquisitive eyebrow. _Is this really a jounin? He doesn't seem like much._

His hand contemplatively under his chin, Kakashi gave a bright, one-eyed smile. "Hmm," he said jovially, "How should I put this... my first impression is that I don't like any of you." All three genin's faces fell. _Maybe this wasn't worth it,_ Kakashi thought. "Come on." he waved, turning to leave, "Follow me." They did so and Kakashi led them to a small garden on the roof. Planting himself on the railing at the edge while his students sat a few feet in front of him, he began, "So, why don't you three introduce yourselves to me?"

A pause. "What would you l-like to know?" Hinata asked meekly.

Kakashi shrugged. "How about your likes, dislikes, dreams of the future? Things like that."

"Hey, hey, why don't you introduce yourself first?" Naruto returned. Hinata nodded.

"Oh... me?" Kakashi thought for a moment. "Well, my name is Hatake Kakashi. I don't really feel like telling you my likes and dislikes... As for dreams for the future, I've never really thought of it. I've got plenty of hobbies..." He trailed off, unresponsive to the beckoning looks of his students. The three turned to look at each other, silently noting that the only information divulged had been his name. "Right then. Your turn." He gestured to Naruto.

"Alright! My name is Uzumaki Naruto!" he declared, grasping the forehead protector.

Hinata listened as her teammates introduced themselves. She found herself blushing when Naruto declared he'd be Hokage and worried when Sasuke explained his desire to kill someone. Throughout it at all, she contemplated how her own introduction should go.

"And last, the girl." Kakashi motioned to her.

"Eh? Me?" she squeaked, caught off-guard.

"You," Kakashi reiterated.

"W-well..." she shifted nervously. "I'm Hyuuga Hinata. What I like is..." _Say "a certain somebody," _she urged herself. _Just say it. No one will figure out who it is. _"What I like is p-pressing flowers and eating cinnamon rolls. I dislike..." _How my father treats me. It's the truth. Say it._ "... crabs and shrimp."_ Wow._ "My dreams for the future are," she breathed deep, "are to become kind, like my mother, and strong, like my father." She smiled inwardly at her small display of bravery.

_Not what I expected,_ Kakashi admitted to himself. "Right, then. That's it for the introductions. Tomorrow, we'll start our duties as shinobi."

"Yeah! What kind of duties?" Naruto asked, saluting excitedly.

"First, we're going to do something, just the four of us."

"What is it?"

"Survival training," said Kakashi flatly.

* * *

><p>I think that's a good place to stop. A bit shorter than I thought, though. Ah well.<p>

So, this is my first try at an alternate universe/timeline story. Some things are gonna be pretty out there, some things closer to home. I'll do my best to gloss over the parts that you've already seen in the series so that you aren't bored to death.

As always, tell me whatcha think and I'll keep on writing!


	2. Step

Here's the next chapter, quick and easy! Thanks for all the reviews! I have taken your words to heart.

Some notes:

I will freely admit that Kakashi and Hinata are among my favorite characters. Since this is a story where the major difference is Hinata's presence, most scenes will be about how her position on the team changes the dynamic. Some things never change, though.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I would have enough money to actually publish this crap.

Introduction:

As we have seen, a single gust of wind can change the flow of time forever. But time is not so flimsy a construct as to give without resistance. Just as on a riverbed, time has many structures which cannot be moved easily or at all. Indeed, the flow of time does not change them but instead rearranges itself for them.

In other words, the order of events influences the actions of many, which in turn influence the order of events. It is a dance of causality, each step shaping itself and being shaped in turn. Some things remain constant, but these constants cause further variation down the line.

Chapter 2: Step

* * *

><p>Hinata bit her lip in worry as she and her new teammates waited for their sensei to arrive so they could begin their exercises. His instructions had been vague and troubling: get up early, don't be late, don't eat breakfast because they might vomit, and apparently this exam cost two thirds of all graduates their forehead protectors. The anticipation was making it that much worse. Was Kakashi letting them stew, so that they'd panic? Could it be psychological warfare? Stress weighed on Hinata's heart more and more.<p>

"Hey guys, good morning!" Kakashi waved enthusiastically as he approached.

_No, he's just late again,_ Hinata concluded, unable to stop herself from feeling a bit sour as Naruto and Sasuke pointed out Kakashi's tardiness. Her disposition did not improve as Kakashi outlined the rules of the test. To her, threatening to eat her lunch right in front of her seemed like adding insult to injury. _Oh God, I'm already assuming I'm going to get tied to the stump. _

"If you want, you can use shuriken and kunai," Kakashi continued. "You won't succeed unless you come at me with the intent to kill."

"Isn't that d-dangerous, Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata chimed in. Striking a teacher, let alone assaulting one with a deadly weapon, was a completely alien idea to Hinata.

"Yeah, you're so slow you can't even dodge a blackboard eraser!" Naruto laughed. "We'll definitely kill you!"

Unfazed, Kakashi returned, "The dog with the loudest bark often has the smallest bite. Well, ignore dead last-san here and we'll start on my mark..."

Naruto snapped, whipping out a kunai and preparing to hurl it at Kakashi. Before Hinata could properly react, Kakashi had already moved behind Naruto and was holding the kunai to the back of his skull. _Amazing..._ Hinata's mouth fell open.

"Calm down," Kakashi told Naruto, "I didn't say, 'start' yet. Seems to me like you're finally prepared to come at me with the intent to kill. Does that mean you've acknowledged me at last?" He let out a minor chuckle. "It seems like... I'm beginning to like you guys." _Maybe this wasn't a waste after all._ "Alright, let's get going. Ready... set... go!"

The four of them dispersed, ready for the test.

What little encouragement Hinata had received from Naruto's outburst earlier had been mostly drained away in a few short minutes. Watching from far away behind a boulder with her Byakugan, Hinata had been subjected to Kakashi's utterly humiliation of Naruto. He'd parried all of Naruto's moves so leisurely – while reading a book, no less – and had topped it off with a _kancho_ so hard it had jettisoned Naruto into the water next to them. _This doesn't look good..._ Hinata thought as Naruto climbed out resembling a drowned rat. _I know Naruto-kun was a bit careless, but if he can't do it, then I..._

Just then, eight _bunshin_ emerged from the water. "Hah! My new jutsu, _kagebunshin no jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)!" _Naruto announced proudly. "You better not get careless – there are more than one of me now!"

Hinata was shocked as she examined the copies. _Each one has a chakra network – then, these aren't illusions?_

"Not just _bunshin_, but _kagebunshin,"_ Kakashi confirmed, apparently unfazed. "You can probably only sustain this for a minute. You can't beat me with that jutsu – no matter how many you line up, you're still just Naruto." His stoic expression was replaced with surprise as another _kagebunshin_ latched onto his back. "What? Behind me?"

Hinata's heart fluttered. A smile sprouted across her lips. _Yes! _

"Weren't shinobi not supposed to get caught from behind?" Naruto gloated, "Right, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto's copies rushed up to Kakashi. "I sent a _kagebunshin_ out of the water to sneak up behind you. My ass still hurts! Here comes the _payback!"_

Mentally, Hinata cheered, _Go Naruto-kun!_

But it was over too soon. Naruto merely ended up hitting himself as Kakashi had switched himself out for one of the doppelgangers, then ended up hitting himself some more until he dispersed the jutsu, leaving Naruto alone on the battlefield.

_Poor Naruto-kun..._ Hinata thought, watching through the rock as Naruto noticed something on the ground: a bell that Kakashi had apparently dropped. But beneath it, underground... _He doesn't see the trap!_ Hinata panicked. Popping out from behind the rock, Hinata called out, "Watch out, Naruto-kun!" Either she was too far for her voice to carry or Naruto just didn't listen: he sprung the trap and was immediately strung up by his ankles.

"Think before using a jutsu or it may be turned against you," said Kakashi, nonchalantly picking up his bell. "Also, don't fall for such obvious traps, idiot."

"_Damn_ it!" was Naruto's only reply.

"A shinobi must be able to see what's underneath the underneath," said Kakashi with a smile.

"I know that!"

"I'm telling you this because you _don't_ know."

Before Naruto could reply, several kunai and shuriken pierced through Kakashi. While Naruto seemed outraged that Sasuke had apparently killed their teacher, Hinata's Byakugan allowed her to see that he had already performed a _kawarimi_ (_body-switch)_ and was long gone. Hinata scanned her surroundings. _I can't find him..._ she noted. _Now's my chance to help Naruto-kun!_ She sprinted towards his location and was struck with a sudden epiphany. _Wait. That's it!_ "Naruto-kun, I think I can get us the bells!" Hinata announced, arriving at the still tied-up Naruto.

"What? You think you and Sasuke are going to get the bells without me?" Naruto bit back.

Fear and nerves struck Hinata. "N-no... that's... I didn't mean... I just wanted to he-"

"Well, I'll show you! I can get _both_ of the bells, no problem!"

"But Naruto-kun, I-"

"Just _leave me alone,_ would you?" he barked.

Hinata felt her heart crack. Her will dissolved and her Byakugan deactivated. "I... I'm sorry..." she choked out. Bowing her head, she turned and ran away. She just wanted this to be over. _Another term at the academy won't be so bad..._ she tried to console herself. She felt tears attempting to burn their way out of her eyes and covered her face, leading her to bump clumsily into a wall.

Or rather, into a sensei.

"A shinobi, especially one with the Byakugan, should always be aware of her surroundings," said Kakashi, looming over her.

"Oh no," she muttered.

"Oh yes," he replied.

Hesitating for a second, Hinata jumped back and assumed her fighting stance.

"The Gentle Fist," Kakashi noted, omitting his observation that she was visibly shaking. "The most powerful of all Konoha taijutsu. However, it's rather meaningless if you can't touch me, isn't it?" Kakashi quickly formed a seal and a swirl of leaves surrounded him and he vanished.

Hinata blinked, confused. _Wh-what? Where did he go? _She examined her surroundings. _Nothing..._

"Pathetic," said a voice behind her. Turning, she found her father standing there. Next to him was Naruto, again strung up, this time by a noose, and standing over a raised platform. A lever was attached to a pole adjacent to the platform.

"F-father?" she began in panic. "What are you- Why is Naruto-kun- how-"

"Listen to your babble. Are you so distracted you can't even get a bell?"

"No, father, I-"

"I'll eliminate that distraction for you." He pulled a lever and the floor beneath Naruto opened, leaving him to drop.

"No!" she cried, but could only hear the sickening snap that accompanied his fall. "No, no, no..." Dizziness overtook her and she collapsed.

Kakashi watched as she succumbed to his genjutsu from afar. "Too cruel?" he wondered aloud. "Maybe a little. Looks like her Byakugan isn't strong enough to see through that level of genjutsu yet."

Hinata awoke a short time later. Groaning, she lifted herself off the ground. Struggling to think, she reactivated her Byakugan to gain a sense of her position. _Where's father? _she wondered, then immediately remembered what had just transpired. _Where's Naruto-kun?_ She panicked. After a moment, she was able to pinpoint the color of his chakra some ways away. _Thank goodness! _She breathed a sigh of relief, then realized what had actually happened and mentally kicked herself. _Genjutsu. Of course. Stupid..._ After a further scan of the area, she located Kakashi and Sasuke's respective chakra signatures flickering rapidly._ Sasuke-kun must be fighting Kakashi-sensei. Maybe together we can get the bells. Naruto-kun didn't want my help, after all... _she thought glumly. Hinata raced towards the two, trying to picture the battle, but it wasn't long before Sasuke's chakra stopped moving and Kakashi's leapt away, apparently towards Naruto's. _Was Sasuke-kun defeated...? _she wondered.

She arrived to find Sasuke planted firmly in the ground and could not help but mentally compare him to a turnip.

"Hinata," said Sasuke. "Get me out of here, would you?"

"Hm?" She had been distracted by her turnip-related thoughts. "Oh, s-sure, right away!" After pulling him out, she asked, "Did you fight Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I touched a bell, too. Next time I'll get it for sure."

"Um..." Hinata began, "M-maybe I could help? If you were able to do so well on your own, the two of us could-"

"Don't get in my way," Sasuke cut her off, walking towards where Kakashi had left.

Hinata sighed. _No luck here, either. It's hopeless for me..._

"There's a man that only I can kill," said Sasuke suddenly.

"Huh?"

"That time... he made me cry..."

"Are you talking about Kakashi-sensei?"

"No." A nervous moment passed. "I'm an avenger. I have to become stronger than him. I can't just sit here doing nothing." Hinata thought back for a moment to Sasuke's self-introduction, but her train of thought was interrupted by the ringing of a bell. "Damn. Wasted too much time," said Sasuke and began to walk back towards the posts. Hinata followed, now very confused.

Ten minutes later, Hinata and Sasuke had sat down on opposite sides of Naruto, who had been tied to the post for his attempt to eat lunch before getting a bell. Though she felt bad for him, she couldn't bring herself to look at him. His earlier words still rang painfully in her ears.

"You guys look really hungry," said Kakashi with annoying candor. "By the way, as regards this exercise... well, there's no need for any of you to return to the academy."

Confusion adorned all three of their faces in varying amounts. Naruto's expression quickly shifted to excitement. "Hey! Then, all three of us..." he began.

_But how?_ Hinata wondered incredulously. _None of us were successful. Were our attempts good enough, or?_

Kakashi gave a warm smile. "Exactly. All three of you should quit as shinobi!"The joviality in his voice betrayed his message.

"Quit? What does _that mean?_" Naruto roared, struggling against the ropes that bound him. "Okay, sure, we couldn't get the bells! But why does that mean we have to quit?"

Suddenly, Sasuke launched himself at Kakashi, only to be immediately wrestled into submission. "See, that's why you're just a punk," said Kakashi atop Sasuke. His expression turned harsh. "Are you three underestimating shinobi? Why do you think you were divided into teams and are undergoing this exercise?" No one answered. "Simply put, you aren't getting the answer this test."

"Answer?" said Naruto.

"Yes. The answer that helps you pass this test." After a moment of silence, Kakashi continued, "Think about it. I'm a jounin – not _just_ a jounin, the technique master of the entire village. You three are genin. How any of you possibly hope to outwit or outfight me?"

"Well, what's the answer, then?" Naruto cried.

Kakashi sighed, exasperated. "It's _teamwork._"

"B-but..." Hinata spoke up. "If there are only two bells, how can all three of us work together?"

"This test is _purposefully_ set up to cause infighting," said Kakashi. "It is supposed to make you give up your own interests and work together under unfavorable circumstances." He turned to Hinata. "Hinata. You were too scared to attempt anything on your own and had to plead to the others before trying anything and ended up accomplishing nothing. But you two," he said, looking at Naruto while Sasuke looked up from underneath him. "Naruto, you ran around by yourself. Sasuke, you assumed these two would get in your way. Neither of you thought of accepting Hinata's offer for help even though she was right nearby."

_She was trying to help?_ Naruto wondered. _I thought she was trying to sabotage me._..

"The mission is completed by the team," Kakashi explained. "Superior individual ability is obviously important for a shinobi. But what's most important is _teamwork._ Individual plays that disrupt the team can put your comrades in danger and even get you killed. For example," he stepped off of Sasuke and aimed a shuriken at Naruto. "Hinata! Kill Sasuke or Naruto dies!"

Hinata felt her heart pump manically and her eyes widened until Kakashi retracted the shuriken.

"You see?" Kakashi said, turning away from them. "If a hostage is taken, you will have to make a tough choice and someone will die. You risk your lives on these missions." He placed his hand on the stone marker before him. "Look at the innumerable names carved into this stone. These are ninja who are recognized as heroes by the village."

"Hey, hey!" Naruto piped up, grinning. "I've decided I wanna get my name carved on that stone too! I'll be a hero!"

"These aren't just normal heroes..." Kakashi uttered quietly.

"Oh yeah? Then what kind were they?" Naruto asked enthusiastically. "Well?"

"They are all heroes who died in the line of duty," Kakashi said flatly. Naruto's expression quickly sank. "This is a memorial. My best friend's name is also carved here." Kakashi took a deep breath. "I'll give you one more chance to get the bells after lunch. This time, it will be even tougher. If you still wish to challenge, go ahead and eat. But don't give any to Naruto."

"Huh?" Naruto looked indignant.

"It's punishment for trying to eat by yourself. If either of you give him food, you fail instantly." He gave them a grim look. "My word is law. Understand?" With that, he bounded off, leaving the three of them.

Naruto laughed. "I don't need any food! I'm fine!" A loud gurgle suggested that his stomach disagreed. Naruto's face fell. Hinata took one of the bentou boxes and opened it. After a moment, she lifted it towards Naruto, dry-heaving with shaky hands. "Huh?" said Naruto.

"Y-you should h-have some, N-Naruto-kun," she whispered. _No need to be afraid. It's not like he can hate you any more. _"I d-don't need to eat that m-much, and we'll have an easier t-time if you're n-not hungry. I can k-keep watch for Kakashi-sensei with my Byakugan," she added, activating it.

Naruto gaped, wide-eyed as he considered her offer. _Well, she did try to help me before, I guess..._

"She's right," Sasuke chimed in, also offering his box. "Unless all of us have some food, we'll just get in each other's ways. Eat up."

Naruto couldn't help but wear a goofy grin, slightly rosy-cheeked. "Thanks guys, but, uh..." he wriggled against his restraints. "I'm kinda stuck here. Could you feed it to me, Hinata?"

Hinata's face turned beet red. Her thoughts began racing. _Naruto-kun wants me to feed him? Oh goodness, this is so- I don't know if- what do I-_

"Hello? Hinata?"

"Oh! Sorry," she said, then picked up some food with her chopsticks. _I have to focus. I can't be thinking about that at a time like this..._ she thought, lifting the food towards Naruto's mouth. "H-here you go, Naruto-kun."

He bit down, chewed, and swallowed rapidly. "Mm. Thanks, Hinata!" he said cheerfully.

Hinata could hear her heart pounding in her ears. _Don't faint, don't faint, don't faint,_ she told herself. "Don't mention it," she replied softly.

"Don't forget to have some yourself," said Sasuke, lifting his lunch toward her. "You're our look-out, after all." Hinata nodded and took some rice from Sasuke's dish.

Minutes passed as the three shared their meals; silent, but for the chewing and rustling of chopsticks in food. Hinata found herself relaxed, smiling while she fed Naruto. That relaxation quickly evaporated with the sudden burst of smoke and their sensei's unmistakably enraged growl of, "_You guys.."_

Sasuke engaged a fighting stance while Narutos shrieked in surprise. Hinata jumped backwards, stunned into silence after being torn from her reverie. _Oh, that's right! We were taking a test! _The turn in Naruto's disposition towards her had all but erased this information from her mind.

"... Pass!" Kakashi finished, smiling warmly through his mask. The three genin froze, dumbfounded. Kakashi chuckled.

After a moment, Naruto asked, "What?"

"D-did you say we... p-pass?" Hinata followed up.

"You guys are the first," Kakashi answered, to more confusion from his team. "Everyone else would just do whatever I told them. They were morons." His voice took on a serious tone. "A ninja must see underneath the underneath. It is certainly true that those who break the rules are trash. But those who would abandon their own comrades are _lower_ than trash." He smiled as understanding washed over his students and gave an energetic thumbs-up. "That's it for the training. All of you pass! Starting tomorrow, Team 7 will begin its duties!"

"I did it! _I did it!_" Naruto yelled jubilantly. "I'm a ninja! A ninja!"

As Sasuke and Kakashi walked off, Hinata stayed behind to untie Naruto. "I'm so glad, Naruto-kun... we made it," she said as if she herself didn't believe it.

"Yeah!" said Naruto as the ropes fell. After a second of stretching, he looked at Hinata, who had begun twiddling her fingers and staring at the ground. "Say, Hinata..."

"Hm?" She perked up.

"I'm... sorry I yelled at you earlier. I was... a big jerk," said Naruto, rubbing at the back of his head, unable to meet her look. "Sasuke and I should have listened to you from the start. I promise to do that more from now on. Can you forgive me?"

Hinata could hardly believe her ears. _Naruto-kun is apologizing to me? Asking _me_ for forgiveness? _A sudden dryness permeated her throat. "I..." she choked out. Sweat began to pour down her face.

"Hinata?"

She gulped. _No fear,_ she told herself. "I-if..." she whispered.

"If?"

"I-if you b-buy me some c-cinnamon rolls... I'll c-call it even," she finished, eyes averted. _Too far, way too far_, she thought, heart pounding. _You screwed up. Take it back. Take it back before he gets mad. _As she opened her mouth once more, a laugh from Naruto made her bring her gaze back to him and to her surprise, he was beaming.

"Sure thing, Hinata," he said. "Just, uh, give me some time to get the money, okay?" She nodded. "Great! See you tomorrow!" He raced off, arms raised in celebration of their victory.

Hinata sighed contentedly. Before she could take a step, however, a hand grasped her shoulder. "I almost forgot," said Kakashi, turning her around. "There is the matter of your father to which we must attend."

Her expression dimmed. "Yes..."

"I'll come by before our mission tomorrow." Hinata made a noise of agreement and Kakashi disappeared.

_Best not to dwell on it for now..._ she mused and began to walk back to the Hyuuga complex. She let her mind drift back to Naruto's thanks and apologies and enjoyed the scenic route home.

Ko was there to greet her as she arrived at the gates to the main house. "Welcome home, Hinata-sama," he said pleasantly.

"Hello, Ko," she replied, unaware of any tone in her voice.

"You seem rather upbeat today, Hinata-sama. Does that mean your mission went well?"

"Hm?" She stopped. She hadn't even noticed, but she'd been smiling all the way home. A small, singular laugh bubbled out of her as she answered, "Yes. I... I had a good day," and entered the building, making her way to her room. _A very, very good day. _

Hinata awoke the next morning to the sound of a knock at her door. "Mmh... who is it?" she mumbled, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"Hatake Kakashi-san here for you, Hinata-sama," Ko replied from outside.

_Oh, that's right!_ She realized what exactly was happening today and hurriedly dressed herself. She'd been dreading this: when the heir to a larger, older clan became a genin, it was custom for their sensei to speak to the head of the clan to confirm. The situation with the Hyuuga, however, was... complicated. _The faster this is over, the better._ Hinata opened her door to find only Ko standing there. "Hm? Ko? Where's Kakashi-sensei?"

"He went ahead to talk with your father while you were dressing," Ko replied.

"Oh no!" she squeaked, then ran off towards the training hall. _Father and Hanabi-chan will be sparring right now..._ she concluded, but stopped dead in her tracks right outside the doorway as she heard her father's voice.

"Stand, Hanabi," said Hiashi as his youngest daughter struggled to lift herself.

"Starting today, I will be taking charge of Hinata," Kakashi told him. "On my squad, Hinata will no doubt face dangers to her life. Do you approve of this?"

"Do what you wish," Hiashi said without hesitation. "She is superfluous to the Hyuuga. She is a failure who cannot even best Hanabi, who is five years her junior."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure, Hiashi-dono? Hinata is-"

"Is there something else you needed, or is that it?" said Hiashi, not looking at Kakashi. "Please leave. You are interrupting our training."

After a second, Kakashi nodded and took a step outside the dojo only to stop when he noticed Hinata standing next to the doorway, a miserable look on her face.

Hinata could not bring herself to speak or even acknowledge Kakashi. She feared she would burst into tears if she did. _Don't,_ she told herself. _Don't cry, and if you do, don't let him see you cry. He'll think you're pathetic..._ She could feel herself begin to hyperventilate. _Stupid crybaby, he's going to kick you off the squad for this... but..._ Her father's words pounded in her ears and her eyes began to sting. But just as the first tear was about to fall, she felt Kakashi's hand gently rest on her head. At last, she looked at him and even through the mask, she could see his gentle smile. "Kakashi-sensei...?" she whimpered.

"You'll do fine, Hinata," said Kakashi softly. "Let's go prove him wrong, okay?" Rubbing her eyes until the heat left, Hinata nodded. "Good. Come on, or we'll be late." With Hinata following, Kakashi began heading for the exit of the compound. Glancing back subtly, he thought to himself, _Poor girl. I didn't realize the situation with her father was that bad. I should say something..._ "Hinata, your father-"

"Kakashi-sensei," she interrupted. "Please don't worry about it. All that concerns me right now is the mission."

"... Very well then," he replied.

_At least, that's what I'm telling myself,_ Hinata mused. _Maybe someday I'll believe it._

* * *

><p>Bit of a downer ending, eh? Oh well. Next chapter, Zabuza and Haku! As always, please review with your thoughts!<p> 


	3. Cut

Wow! Thanks for so many nice reviews, guys! I really appreciate every single one of them, believe me. Also, I guess I'm in the market for a beta reader now? I don't really know how to get one, though.

For this chapter, I'll be skipping through the Zabuza/Kakashi battle to avoid scenes that are unchanged. It'll be more snippets of the fight than anything.

Disclaimer: I wish I owned it but I don't.

Introduction:

The pond of time has begun to stir, its waves crashing upon one another, negating themselves and generating new waves with every iteration of the system. But with this building complexity, we approach an impasse. As with every such system, time crashes headlong towards chaos, where cause and effect, while existent, are merely attached by flimsy threads. The pond now resembles every other pond, windswept or otherwise: chaotic waves crashing back and forth. The details differ, of course, but without a frame of reference, we have no way to distinguish any one timeline from another.

It is therefore to our benefit that our pond is not empty. Indeed, while the waves and pebbles may be tossed about by light breezes, obstacles in the pond stand firm, cosmological constants that laugh in the face of chaos.

These chronological axioms take many forms. They may manifest as an older brother burdened with an unshakeable sense of duty only rivaled by filial love. Perhaps instead they appear as a plot conjured by madmen to devastate the world.

Less obviously, however, one such obstacle is found as a simple architect seeking aid.

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: Cut<p>

"Three meters to your left, Naruto-kun," Hinata directed into her radio as she watched with her Byakugan.. "It's not facing you – you should be able to get it."

"Naruto, Sasuke. Do you have visual on the target?" asked Kakashi.

"Yeah," said Sasuke.

"Sure do!" reiterated Naruto.

"Good. Approach in a pincer formation," Kakashi ordered.

"Roger," said the boys in unison. A few moments later, they leaped from the bushes and Naruto seized their prey – a large, panicking cat.

"Got it!" Naruto boasted before the cat began swiping at him. "Ow, ow, ow!"

"Verify the target's identity," said Kakashi over the radio. "Check for the ribbon on the left ear."

"Verified," replied Sasuke.

"Good. Lost pet 'Tora' search mission, complete!" Kakashi declared with more pride than the mission really deserved.

Nevertheless, Hinata smiled, satisfied at another job well done. Things were running so smoothly for Team 7: every mission had been completed with relatively little struggle, cat scratches aside, and spending so much time around her team had been having a good effect on Hinata. She could now talk to Naruto without stuttering more than once per sentence as long as the topic of conversation wasn't too embarrassing or personal, at least. Even her father's harsh words seemed far away. T_hings are good,_ she concluded.

Judging by his outburst while the Third Hokage read the list of next possible missions, Naruto seemed to disagree.

"No, no, no! No, thank you!" Naruto blurted, arms in an X-shape. "I wanna do a more incredible mission! Find us a better one!"

… _I agree,_ thought Sasuke.

_Naruto-kun does raise a good point... _Hinata shifted her gaze to Kakashi, not wanting to alert the Third Hokage or Iruka to her agreement, and noticed her sensei's discomfiture.

Iruka immediately bolted out of his seat. "You idiot! You're just a rookie!" Iruka yelled. "_Everyone_ starts off with simple duties and works their way up!" The Third Hokage merely sighed.

"But we keep getting the crappiest possible assignments!" Naruto retorted.

"Quiet, you," said Kakashi, rapping Naruto on the back of the head.

"Naruto, it seems I must explain what these missions are about..." the Third Hokage began, but as he explained the mission ranking system, Naruto swiftly drifted off into contemplation about his next meal. "Hey! Listen!" said the Third Hokage, annoyed.

"I apologize..." Kakashi said meekly and Hinata noted how odd it was to see her sensei act the part of the nervous underling.

"Geez... All you do is lecture, lecture, lecture!" said Naruto. "But you know what? I'm _not_ the trouble-making brat you still seem to think I am!" With that, he crossed his arms and pouted. Kakashi's expression grew to one of resigned exasperation.

After an uncomfortable moment, the Hokage spoke softly, "Okay. If you want it that much... I'll give you a C-rank mission."

_C-rank? Oh dear..._ thought Hinata. _I hope it's not too hard..._

"Your mission is to protect a certain individual."

Naruto's expression blossomed into a grin and he cheered. "Who is it? A feudal lord? A _princess?"_

"Calm yourself. I'm about to introduce him," said Hiruzen, then turned towards the doorway. "Please enter."

A pair of arms holding what was clearly a mostly consumed sake bottle preceded the old man who entered. "What's this?" he growled, incredulous. "They're all a bunch of puny brats! Especially the midget with the stupid face; are you really a ninja already?"

Naruto laughed at the old man's insult. He looked around. "Which one's the midget with the stupid-" Hinata gulped nervously as the answer dawned on him. It was then she realized that Naruto was a bit shorter than she was. He'd always seemed taller to her.

"I'll _kill_ you!" Naruto roared, jumping towards their client, only to be pulled back by Kakashi.

"What's the point of killing the person we're supposed to protect? Idiot," chastised Kakashi.

The old man introduced himself, "I am the super expert bridge builder, Tazuna. I expect you to provide me super protection until I get back to my country and complete my bridge."

Hinata could not help but think this was not a well-boding start.

* * *

><p>"Let's go!" Naruto cheered ecstatically as they departed the village.<p>

"You s-seem excited, Naruto-kun," noted Hinata, smiling at his energy.

"Hey... am I really going to be safe with this brat?" asked Tazuna, thoroughly dashing Naruto's good mood. The situation quickly dissolved into bickering, Naruto's declaration that he would be Hokage, and another death threat, which Kakashi quickly put to rest.

Once they were on their way, things ran surprisingly smoothly. Hinata's naturally worried nature prompted her to ask, "Kakashi-sensei, will we be facing combat with other shinobi on this mission/"

"No," Kakashi answered. "The Wave country does not have its own ninja village, unlike most other countries. Besides, this is just a C-rank mission; we'll be fine."

_Oh,_ _good,_ thought Hinata, sighing in relief. Immediately after, sharp chains pulled by two mechanical claw-bearing shinobi wrapped tightly around Kakashi and tore him to pieces. "Kakashi-sensei!" Hinata screamed in fright.

"One down," said one of the enemies as the pieces of their sensei fell to the ground. In an instant they had circled around to Naruto's back and were preparing another strike.

"Two down," the other one muttered as fear flooded Naruto's face.

Quick as lightning, Sasuke jumped into the fray and handily repelled the two attackers, but not before one could get a scratch on Naruto.

The enemy shinobi swiftly regained their footing and leaped at Tazuna just as Hinata regained her senses, standing between the attackers and her client. Sasuke jumped in the way, preparing to intercept, but Kakashi, revealing himself to be alive, beat him to the punch, dispatching the two effortlessly. The others breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Naruto, I'm sorry for not helping you right away," said Kakashi after tying up the shinobi. "I got you injured. I didn't realize you wouldn't be able to move. Good work, Sasuke. You too, Hinata." Hinata blushed from the praise.

Then, for the first time ever, they witnessed Sasuke smile. "Hey," he said, turning to Naruto. "Did you get hurt... chicken-kun?"

Sasuke's smugness visibly irritated Naruto, who looked ready to retaliate before Kakashi interrupted, "Naruto, save it for later. Their claws are laced with poison; we have to treat it immediately. We'll have to open a wound to let the poison drain."

Naruto scowled at the wound on his hand while Kakashi interrogated the Mist ninja. Hinata rushed over to his side. "I-it'll be okay, Naruto-kun..." she attempted with a smile. We should go back to the village to get you t-treated. This mission might be too much for us anyway..."

"Hm..." muttered Kakashi, pondering. "This might be too much. I guess we should return to the village to treat Naruto."

Naruto could not bear any more. Whipping out a kunai, he drove the knife into his hand, much to the shock of the others.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata squeaked, overwhelmed.

"With this kunai..." Naruto growled, teeth grit, "I swear I'll protect this old man. We're _continuing the mission!_"

_Oh, Naruto-kun... _Hinata sighed, relieved and inspired by Naruto's declaration.

"Naruto, it's good that you're releasing the poison, but..." A grin sprouted on Kakashi's face. "Any more and you'll die from blood loss. Seriously."

Naruto began panicking. Struck with an idea, Hinata reached into her pack and pulled out a small cylinder. "M-maybe this can help!" she said, offering it to Kakashi as he wrapped the wound. "I-it's a medicinal cream that I made..."

Kakashi nodded, unscrewing the cap and applying the cream. He paused after only a few dabs and scrutinized the cut. _It's already healing..._

"Hey, uh, am I gonna be okay?" Naruto asked nervously.

Finishing the wrap, Kakashi answered, "You'll be fine. Hinata's cream did the trick." It was a good enough cover. Hinata's cream _was _effective, but obviously the Nine-Tails' chakra was doing the bulk of the work.

Naruto seemed to buy it, anyway. "Wow... thanks, Hinata!" he smiled at her. "Your cream works great."

Hinata felt dizzy, but pleasantly so.

* * *

><p>Despite that setback, the mission proceeded smoothly enough. Sure, Tazuna's reveal that a rich businessman was trying to have him killed was jarring and Naruto had almost killed an innocent rabbit, but other than that, Hinata thought, nothing was really going wrong. In fact, she thought it was nice to see another country for the first time and if there were another attack, she swore she would be ready.<p>

She did not anticipate that a giant meat cleaver would be hurled at them from nowhere.

"Everyone, _get down!"_ Kakashi ordered as the sword spun. Nobody hesitated to follow. The blade embedded itself in a tree and when it stopped, its owner stood upon the hilt."Well, well... if it isn't the Hidden Mist's missing-nin, Momochi Zabuza-kun," Kakashi explained nonchalantly. Just as Naruto looked ready to spring into action, Kakashi stopped him. "Everybody, get back. This one is on an entirely different level. It'll be a little tough unless I do this..."

As Kakashi grabbed his forehead protector, Zabuza spoke, "You appear to be Sharingan Kakashi. Sorry, but the old man is _mine._"

"Surround and protect Tazuna-san," said Kakashi. "Do not enter the fight. That's the teamwork here. Hinata?"

"Oh, r-right!" Hinata replied nervously, forming a seal. _"Byakugan!"_

"Ho..." muttered Zabuza as Hinata's nerves swelled, "Both of Konoha's mighty eyes in one place eh? Maybe I'll take them home as a souvenir."

"Zabuza," Kakashi growled in a tone his students had never heard, "You fight _me_ first."

"Ah. I already get to see the great Sharingan," said Zabuza. "I'm honored."

After Sasuke finished explaining the Sharingan's abilties, Zabuza leapt down to the surface of the nearby lake.

"Over there!" yelled Naruto, pointing.

_He's releasing a high amount of chakra..._ Kakashi noted.

"_Ninpou: kirigakure no jutsu (Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Technique),_"said Zabuza and immediately a shroud of mist descended over them.

"He's gone!" said Naruto.

"He'll come after me first," said Kakashi. "Momochi Zabuza... as a member of the Hidden Mist, he was known as an expert in silent killing. You don't notice until you're already dead. I can't quite use the Sharingan perfectly, so you guys need to be careful. Hinata, keep watch."

_Why does Kakashi-sensei keep asking Hinata to do stuff?_ Naruto wondered.

A low, grumbling laugh came from seemingly everywhere in the mist. "That little girl's Byakugan won't be able to pierce_ my _mist," came Zabuza's voice. "I've got eight choices: liver, lungs, spine, clavicle vein, jugular vein, brain, kidneys, heart. Which one should I go for?"

"He's right," whispered Hinata, searching desperately. "I can't f-find him!"

Hinata wasn't the only fearful one – Sasuke was sweating bullets right next to her. "Sasuke," said Kakashi in a reassuring tone. "Don't worry. I'll protect you all even if it costs my life." He smiled warmly. "I will _never_ let my comrades die."

"_We'll see about that,_" Zabuza's growled, appearing behind them. "It's over." But as he swung, Kakashi stabbed Zabuza in the gut, simultaneously allowing his allies to get to safety.

* * *

><p>The fight had been tumultuous and chaotic, but the ending was surprisingly abrupt. The unknown figure that had apparently killed Zabuza stood before them, ready to take the corpse away. Now Kakashi had to explain to Naruto that there existed people in the world who were younger than Naruto but stronger than his sensei.<p>

"U-um, Kakashi-sensei..." Hinata piped up as the mist cleared. She had been shivering since the fight began.

"What is it, Hinata?" Kakashi asked, trying to hide his exhaustion.

"He's..." Hinata moved in close and whispered, "He's _still alive._"

Kakashi's eyes widened. _His pulse was definitely gone..._ he thought back. _But the Byakugan can see internal organ flow. It wouldn't be fooled._ Kakashi turned to the Hunter-nin before them. _That means that this guy is an enemy. _

"Your battle is now over," said the masked figure. "I must now dispose of the body, since it is filled with secrets. Farewell." The Hunter-nin disappeared with Zabuza.

Settling his breath, Kakashi pulled his forehead protector back down to cover his Sharingan. _Not good..._

"Kakashi-sensei, why did you let them go?" Hinata asked, startled.

"Well..." said Kakashi, teetering forward. "This should probably help answer that..." He collapsed.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelped, rushing towards his sensei.

Face in the dirt, Kakashi continued. "The Sharingan takes up a lot of chakra... I can't really move right now. If I had attacked them, the fight would've gone... poorly."

"Don't worry!" said Tazuna a bit too energetically. "You can recuperate at my house!"

"Thank you," said Kakashi.

* * *

><p>"Are you alright, sensei?" asked Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, at Tazuna's home.<p>

"Yes... I just can't move for a week," Kakashi replied.

"If that guy is still alive, what should we do?" asked Tazuna, finally showing worry. "Should we hide? Will he be able to find us?"

"That just means we get to beat him up again!" said Naruto.

"Don't worry, Tazuna-san," said Kakashi, shushing Naruto. "Zabuza should be in a pretty sorry state himself. You don't just recover from a fake death like that. But it means that we have some preparation to do." He tilted his head to face Hinata. "If you hadn't been watching, we wouldn't know that Zabuza's still alive. That gives us the advantage. Well done, Hinata." Hinata gave a humble bow. Kakashi sat up. "Let's go. The sooner we start, the better prepared we'll be for Zabuza's next attack..."

* * *

><p>Naruto felt the training was not going well. Earlier, Kakashi had told him that he had improved most out of the three of them, but now he couldn't even get higher than few feet up the trees he was supposed to climb. <em>Stupid trees! Stupid Sasuke! <em>To top it off, the brief interaction he'd had with Tazuna's grandson left him in a sour mood. _At least I'm doing better than... huh? _He looked around. "Hinata?" he called.

"Up here, N-Naruto-kun!" came the response from above.

Naruto looked to find Hinata sitting in a tree branch higher up than even Sasuke had gotten. She waved as Naruto stared, open-mouthed.

"Hm... looks like Hinata is the best at Chakra control," said Kakashi, upside-down.

"Damn it!" Naruto raged. _I thought I was the one who'd improved most! _

Hinata's face fell. _He's mad at me again..._

"Wow!" Kakashi chimed, "Not only does Hinata have that Byakugan, but she's got good chakra control and stamina. I'd say out of the three of you, _she's _the closest to the title of Hokage." Naruto scowled. He glanced at Sasuke. "I guess we know which clan is the strongest in Konoha after all."

"S-sensei... it w-wasn't anything," Hinata attempted weakly.

"Modest too..." muttered Kakashi, now just amusing himself. _Of course, the Gentle Fist already necessitates a good bit of chakra control. It's natural that Hinata would have an affinity for this exercise._

_I can do this,_ thought Naruto, fists clenched. _I'm gonna catch up to Sasuke, and I'm gonna be the best!_

An hour later, however, Naruto had not made significant progress. Hinata, meanwhile, was taking a quick break.

Gathering up courage, Hinata stood and headed towards where Naruto had just landed unceremoniously on his back. "H-hello, Naruto-kun," said Hinata, trying her best to smile.

"Ow..." Naruto rubbed at where he'd just hit his head. "What's up, Hinata?"

"I was j-just wondering... maybe I could h-help you out a bit?" She faced the ground.

Naruto's first instinct was to snap back that he didn't need her help, that he would do it himself, that he'd beat _both_ of them and become Hokage in no time, but he remembered what he'd said during the bell test._ "I should have listened to you from the start. I promise to do that more from now on."_ "Sure, Hinata. What should I do?"

Her heart fluttered. "W-well... you need to balance the chakra in your feet so that it adheres to the tree without damaging the structural integrity of the tree, and-" From the look on Naruto's face, she could tell she'd already lost him. She thought for a moment. "Here. Try focusing chakra at your feet. I'll tell you how much more or less you need."

Naruto tilted his head. "How?"

"Like this. _Byakugan!"_ Her eyes focused.

"Oh!" Naruto pointed. "Yeah, I was wondering about that! What's the deal with those eyes?"

"The Byakugan is the _doujutsu_ passed down in my family, the Hyuuga clan," Hinata explained. "It allows me to see through objects, even inside the human body, and gives color to chakra. I can see all around me, too..." _With one exception,_ she added mentally. "I can also see up to fifty meters away. My father can see even farther than that, though."

"Wow..." said Naruto, eyes wide. "That's amazing! It's like Kakashi-sensei's Sharingan!" He thought for a moment. "Does it take a lot of chakra to use?"

She shook her head. "N-no, not really. It only takes a small amount of chakra for me... You can think of it as sort of a cousin to the Sharingan."

"That's why Kakashi-sensei had you use it to watch out for Zabuza..." Naruto reasoned, hand on chin. "But wait, why couldn't you see him in the mist, then?"

"Zabuza used some kind of jutsu that generates mist from chakra... My Byakugan couldn't pinpoint it..." she said with a bit of shame.

Naruto saw her sadness and put a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "Don't worry. Let's train hard and next time, you'll definitely be able to get him!" he said, grinning. "You tell me where he is, and I'll beat him up! Deal?"

Hinata blushed, smiled, and nodded. "Deal," she agreed.

"Great!" said Naruto, forming a seal for focus. "Now, I'll control my chakra and you tell me when I've got enough, okay?"

She nodded and he began. Hinata watched intently. "More..." she told him. "Keep going... almost... wait, a little too much... there, hold it!" She held her hands out.

"L-like this?" said Naruto, struggling to maintain the chakra.

"Yes! Try it out, Naruto-kun!" she encouraged.

Naruto turned and walked towards the tree. Sweat trickled down his temple. His look of consternation faded as he realized he _wasn't falling_ from the tree. He laughed. "I did it!" he yelled and turned to face Hinata. "Check me out! I'm awesome! I'm- woah!" In his excitement, he lost control and tumbled out of the tree, rolling down the trunk and slamming right into Hinata, ending with him on top of her.

Hinata winced from the pain. It took her a moment to realize exactly what had happened. Catching sight of Naruto's face inches from her own, her thoughts flew into panic mode as she felt heat rush to her face. _Oh dear oh my __oh dear oh my __**oh dear oh my!**_ She let out a short but piercing shriek and promptly passed out, the color draining from her face.

Naruto quickly hopped off of her, concerned. "H-Hinata? Oh crap, are you okay? Hey, say something!" He knelt down and jostled her a bit.

Her eyes blinked slowly awake. "Hm...?" she muttered. _I had the weirdest dream... I'd helped Naruto-kun with his training, and then he was on top of me, and... _

"Hinata!" Naruto breathed out relief. "You scared me for a for landing on you like that. I'm kind of clumsy..."

_It was real!_ Hinata's mouth would not cooperate as she tried to form words.

"Is everything all right over there?" Kakashi called, grabbing his crutches. Even Sasuke had glanced over at the commotion.

Hinata's brain finally recovered from its short circuit. "Y-yes! Everything's fine! I was just giving Naruto-kun some advice!" She forced a laugh and waved.

"As long as you're still training," said Kakashi, resuming his book.

"Thanks for helping me, Hinata. I think I've got the hang of it now. You're really nice," said Naruto, helping Hinata up.

"Oh... d-d-don't worry about it!" she squeaked, her cheeks burning once more as Naruto returned to run up the tree. Smiling, she held the hand he'd used to pull her up to her chest, as though absorbing its warmth.

She remembered what Naruto said about Zabuza's mist and her expression determined. _I can do it..._ she told herself. _I can train my Byakugan while I climb trees. Next time, I'll definitely be able to see through the mist. _

Suddenly, she felt Sasuke tap her on the shoulder. "Hinata. What did you and Naruto talk about?" he asked as she turned.

"Why do you want to know, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke hesitated before answering. "Before you two talked, Naruto could barely get two steps up the tree. Now he's climbed higher than I have. Did you give him some advice?"

Hinata nodded a bit sheepishly. "H-he looked like you could use some help..."

Sasuke averted his gaze, his pride getting the better of him. "Well... could you tell me what you told him?" he asked quietly.

Hinata blinked in surprise. This was unexpected. "Of course," she said with a smile. "Here, focus chakra at your feet..."

Naruto looked down from his branch and chuckled. _Stupid Sasuke. He sees me being so awesome that he has to beg Hinata for help when she offered it to me on her own! I'm on my way to being Hokage!_

Meanwhile, Kakashi smiled, glancing sidelong at his students. _Things seem to be going well. I was right after all. _He turned a page in his book.

* * *

><p>Well, that's it for this chapter. There's a bit of a pun in the title of the chapter. A word for "cut" in Japanese is <em>kiri<em> (切り), which is also the word for mist (霧).

I have mixed feelings about this chapter, but I think it was necessary to write it this way... Anyway, as always, please review and I'll keep supplying you with story!


	4. Wave

Thanks for the reviews, everyone. It may not seem like it, but I do consider everyone's input. Hopefully this chapter will flow better...

Disclaimer: The usual

Introduction:

Interference is the process by which waves interact with one another. This interference may be constructive or destructive, augmenting or diminishing these waves. With consistent interference, a wave may build continuously, reaching enormous magnitudes.

Consider, then, the process of gaining strength. It builds at a an exponential rate. But what if, early in that progression, an additional boost was given to that strength? What effect would that have on the later results of training?

Chapter 4: Wave

Hinata sat fidgeting in Tazuna's home. Naruto had been out training very late each night since they'd started. Thanks to her aptitude at the tree-climbing exercise, Kakashi had assigned Hinata to guard Tazuna during the day while he worked on the bridge. She had mixed feelings about this: at once, it was great praise to be given the task to guard their client. At the same time, however, this not only caused her to train more at night; it also separated her from Naruto. Despite the ever-present danger of Zabuza's return, the day-by-day training alongside Naruto and Sasuke had been enjoyable, even _fun,_ dare she think it.

But duty called as it always did and now she spent the day observing just how terrible the situation in the Wave country really was. Even so, she got in the extra training for her Byakugan. Her progress was good: she could see farther and farther away each day.

"Hinata," said Kakashi from above her. He was doing upside down sit-ups on the ceiling while reading. "Don't worry so much about Naruto. He'll be fine."

She blushed a bit, embarrassed that Kakashi had read her thoughts so clearly. "I know, sensei, it's just..."

"I understand. Still, you should get some sleep. Naruto and Sasuke's duty right now is to train. Yours is to guard Tazuna during the day. Shinobi rarely get good opportunities on missions to sleep. Take this one."

She nodded. "Okay," she said, and headed towards where she'd be sleeping.

_It's better this way,_ thought Kakashi. _She cares so much for him, but she needs to take care of herself, too._

As Hinata made her way towards her futon, she passed Tsunami in the kitchen and an idea struck her. Approaching the lady of the household, she asked, "Um, Ts-tsunami-san, would you mind if I used the kitchen? I'd like to make something for Naruto-kun, if that's okay."

"Hm? Oh, yes, go right ahead," said Tsunami, scrubbing a dish. "Take whatever you need." Hinata thanked her and proceeded to assemble various foods in a small box, taking care to note which ones were proper. Tsunami smiled as Hinata worked. "You care for that boy, don't you?"

Hinata blushed. "H-he _is_ my teammate, after all..." she muttered.

"But it's more than that, isn't it?"

"W-we're friends, I think..." Hinata's face resembled a ripe tomato.

Tsunami chuckled. "It's okay. You don't have to say it. Here, let me help you," she said, putting down the plate and grabbing some ingredients.

Once more Hinata thanked her host and as soon as they were finished, Hinata packed up the box. Taking it to Naruto's room, she tied it up with a small bit of rope and wrote, "_Naruto-kun – In case you're hungry from your training, please have some. - Hinata."_ She'd deliberately chosen foods that would keep overnight so as to be flexible for Naruto's arrival.

"There," she said to herself and couldn't help but smile at a job she thought was well done.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Hinata awoke bright and early, but Naruto was nowhere to be found. "Kakashi-sensei, is Naruto-kun around?" she asked.<p>

"He hasn't returned yet?" said Tazuna, eyebrow raised.

"I hope he's alright," Tsunami chimed, bringing in plates. "A child all alone in the woods..."

"Don't worry!" said Kakashi cheerfully. "He might not look it, but he's a true ninja. He'll be fine."

Hinata remained unconvinced. "B-but Kakashi-sensei," she said, "What if he's hurt? Zabuza's out there – what if he's been caught?" She clenched her fist. "I'm going after him." She began gathering her gear.

"Hinata, your mission is to guard Tazuna-san," said Kakashi, holding up a hand to stop her. "Naruto will be fine. Stay here."

Something in Hinata burst. Turning towards Kakashi, eyes charged, she said, "Kakashi-sensei, you told us, 'Those who break the rules are trash, but those who would abandon their own comrades are_ lower_ than trash.' What kind of person would I be to leave my comrade lying where the enemy could easily get him?"

Kakashi blinked. _She's come a long way..._ he thought, and lowered his hand, nodding his approval.

Hinata bowed and then rushed out the door.

* * *

><p><em>Please be okay,<em> Hinata hoped, rushing towards their training ground, Byakugan active. She was surprised by how much and how clearly she could see. Her training had paid off more than she'd expected. It was almost enough to detract from the urgency of the situation. Suddenly, she caught sight of Naruto's chakra signature. _There! Thank goodness! But wait... one more?_

She arrived at their location to find Naruto sitting on the ground next to a young girl. "Naruto-kun!" she called.

"Eh? Hinata?" said Naruto, confused.

"Are you okay?" she asked, then began inspecting him. "Oh, you're hurt!" she squeaked.

"Don't worry, I'm okay, mostly!" said Naruto. "Thanks to this nice girl!"

Unbeknownst to either of them, Haku had sensed her arrival. Behind his back, he began making the seals for his ice needles. The small spears began materializing in his hand, unseen by either of them. Haku's face remained placid.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm being rude," said Hinata, looking at the girl. _She's beautiful.._. "I'm Naruto-kun's teammate. Are you his friend?"

The needles melted into nothingness and Haku relaxed imperceptibly. _The mist must have camoflaged my identity. _"Well, we just met, but I think so," he said, smiling.

"Well, you treated Naruto-kun, at any rate," said Hinata. "Thank you for that."

"It was no trouble. I was glad to help." Hinata nodded and retrieved her medicinal cream. As she uncapped it, Haku went to snatch the container, but stopped himself before he grabbed it. "May I take a look at that, please?"

"S-sure," said Hinata quietly. "Are you well versed in medical salves?"

"Something like that," said Haku, omitting the fact that he'd acquired these skills through a life of assassination and hiding from the authorities. He rubbed a bit of the cream between his thumb and forefinger and sniffed it. "This is good medicine," he said, screwing the cap back on. "If I may make a recommendation, add these herbs to the mix when you make the next batch." Reaching into his basket, he handed Hinata a handful of herbs.

"Oh, thank you," Hinata replied, revealing a smile. "Here, Naruto-kun, let me get those scrapes..." she leaned down and began applying the cream, trying to keep her hands steady while the thought _You're touching Naruto-kun _pounded in her head continuously.

"Thanks, Hinata!" said Naruto.

"Is she one of the people you want to protect?" Haku asked.

"What?"

"When a person has something to protect... they become truly strong. Do you want to protect her?"

Naruto contemplated this for a moment, then looked to Hinata, who refused to meet his eyes, blushing furiously and thankful for the excuse of treating his remaining wounds to look away. Naruto beamed. "Yeah! I guess she is." Unseen by Naruto, Hinata's face bore a mix of utter surprise and pure elation.

Haku returned Naruto's expression. "You will become strong. Let's meet again somewhere."

"Sure!" said Naruto.

"By the way," said Haku as he walked. "I'm a boy."

Both Naruto and Hinata's faces unmistakably dispalyed shock.

Soon after, Sasuke arrived. "There you are," he said. "Hinata. Kakashi says to return, since you've found Naruto. Naruto, you should get back to work" He brushed by the two of them and resumed training.

When Naruto eventually returned that night, he found a bentou box laid on his futon. Reading the note attached, he smiled. _Hinata... She was worried about me._ He opened it and to his surprise, the food was still good. As he was about to dig in, he hesitated, quickly closed the lid, and loaded the box into his pack. _This'll make a good snack in the middle of training. _Closing his bag, he took off out the door and towards the training ground once again.

Hinata, meanwhile, heard his footsteps and smiled. _He's going to train more? So should I._ After readying her supplies, she too headed out of Tazuna's home to follow Naruto and get back to work.

The next morning, Kakashi wandered out alone towards where he hoped his students would be. _Not a single one came home last night._ It was enough to actually worry him. He found Hinata on the ground, lying against a tree that bore many cuts, an orange jacket draped over her like a blanket. "Hinata?" he called.

Her eyes opened slowly and she smiled._ Naruto-kun's jacket... did he...? _she wondered as she inspected the jacket. "Oh... good morning, Kakashi-sensei," she said groggily, and hoisted herself up.

"Good morning. Were you out here all night?" he asked, looking around.

"Yes... though I fell asleep and Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun were still training," she said with a bit of a frown. "Did I miss my shift with Tazuna-san? What time is it?"

"No, it's still early. Speaking of Naruto and Sasuke, where are those two?"

"I'll check." Just as she formed the seal to activate her Byakugan, a kunai dropped to the ground from above. Kakashi and Hinata looked to its origin and found Naruto chuckling to himself, slung over a tree branch. "He's climbed even higher than last night," said Hinata cheerfully.

"Whaddya think?" Naruto called. "Look at how high I can climb!" As he stood up on the branch, he stumbled and began to teeter backwards.

"Naruto-kun, watch out!" cried Hinata.

"Oh no," said Kakashi, "If you fall from that height-!"

Naruto slipped off the branch. Hinata screamed and Kakashi looked panicked until Naruto caught himself on the branch with his feet. "Just kidding!" he said, laughing as he swung back and forth. "You guys fell for it!" As Hinata began to breathe a sigh of relief, however, Naruto's grip on the tree loosened and he began to plummet, prompting another shriek from Hinata and Naruto, before being caught by the ankle by Sasuke.

"You moron," said Sasuke coolly as Naruto panted his relief.

Kakashi glanced around at his students; at Naruto, who had resumed his place on the tree, at Sasuke, who stood smirking at his teammate's ridiculousness, and at Hinata, who was cheering for her friends' success while silently celebrating her own. Only a short while ago, Kakashi had made fools of each of them during the bell test. Now, it seemed they were so much _more_ than they were before. _They've all grown so well,_ he thought, and smiled wide.

* * *

><p>The next night, Naruto and Sasuke stood atop the very peaks of the trees, swaying in the wind as the moonlight washed over them. Both of them bore wide grins, even if Naruto's was formed through some heavy breathing. "Want to go back?" Sasuke asked casually.<p>

"Yeah!" said Naruto. He turned to look at Hinata, who herself was clinging to a slightly shorter tree. "You coming with, Hinata?"

She nodded and smiled. It had cost her quite a lot of sleep to make up the training time while maintaining her schedule of guarding Tazuna. She had had to create little methods of mini-training to compensate while she tended her duties. There had been times she thought she would give up, but whenever fatigue encroached of the edges of her vision, she would remember the promise Naruto swore on his hand and would push back the exhaustion. At last, she realized, it was _all _worth it.

Sasuke's foot pushed the door to Tazuna's home open. Team 7 entered triumphantly but wearily. Sasuke supported Naruto and Hinata found herself clinging to Naruto's arm. Some part of her was amazed that she wasn't hyperventilating at this level of physical contact and was certain she would freak out twice as much to make up for it the next day.

"You're finally back," said Tazuna. "What's this? You look super dirty and worn out."

"We made it... to the top..." said Naruto. "All three of us."

"All right!" said Kakashi promptly. "Starting tomorrow, Naruto, you and Sasuke will help Hinata protect Tazuna-san." Hearing this, Hinata closed her eyes, gave a pleasant smile, and leisurely collapsed on the floor, fast asleep. Kakashi laughed awkwardly. "Let's... get her upstairs, shall we?"

* * *

><p>"Naruto-kun?" Hinata lightly prodded Naruto's shoulder as he lay unconscious. He responded by snoring loudly and rolling away. The morning had come and Hinata had somehow managed to wake up (albeit still a little dizzy) thanks to the thermos of tea from which she took periodic sips, but Naruto seemed determined to protest the very idea of not being asleep.<p>

"Leave him, Hinata," said Kakashi. "He's pushed his body to the limit. It's best to let him rest."

"Okay," she replied, her voice tinged with a bit of regret.

"Right then! Let's super go!" said Tazuna.

* * *

><p>The group had arrived to the sight of mutilated bodies strewn across the bridge. One of the wounded soldiers had claimed a monster had attacked them. Now, a familiar mist descended upon them. None of them had any question as to what it meant.<p>

"_Here they come!" _shouted Kakashi. The team readied their weapons. _He's come at last..._

"Kakashi-sensei," said Hinata. "This is _kirigakure no jutsu (Hiding in Mist Technique),_ right?"Without waiting for his confirmation, Hinata activated her Byakugan.

"Long time no see Kakashi," came a voice from the mist. "Still babysitting those brats, huh? Poor kid – he's shaking again."

With little movement, Hinata gave a series of hand signals to Sasuke, who grinned. Kakashi gave his mark. "I'm shaking from _excitement,_" Sasuke clarified and sped off. The sound of blades slashing through flesh echoed from the mist and five Zabuza _bunshin_ dropped to the floor before exploding into water. Sasuke smoothly landed back in his original spot.

"He defeated my _bunshin..._ but how did he see them?" asked Zabuza. "Ah. That girl – she can see through it now, can't she?" Zabuza gave a low chuckle. "Your brats have grown, Kakashi." The real Zabuza and Haku emerged into view. "Looks like some rivals have appeared, eh Haku?"

"It does indeed," answered Haku.

"That masked one was an ally after all," said Kakashi.

"I'll fight him," Sasuke declared. "Trying to trick us with that stupid act – I hate bastards like him the _most_."

"Be careful, Sasuke-kun," said Hinata, focusing on Zabuza and Haku. "They have strong chakra." She felt something familiar about them, but couldn't place it.

"I'll be fine," Sasuke replied with confidence. "Thanks to your help, I've been able to get _much_ stronger."

"An impressive young man," said Haku. "Even though the _mizubunshin_ have only a tenth of the strength of the original, it is still rather impressive."

"We've got the advantage," said Zabuza. "Go!"

"Yes," said Haku, who disappeared in a vortex of water before quickly appearing right in front of Sasuke, swiping at him with a needle. Sasuke repelled it with his kunai.

"Hinata! Stay with Tazuna and keep watch with your Byakugan. We'll let Sasuke handle him."

"Right!" Hinata replied, channeling more chakra to her eyes. She watched as Sasuke was able to keep up with Haku, feeling an unfamiliar rush as she realized just how far they'd come. _We can do this!_ she thought excitedly as Sasuke delivered a sharp blow right to Haku's face.

"I can't have you disparaging my team by calling them brats," Kakashi said calmly. "Sasuke is the number one rookie in the village. Hinata is the heir to the most noble clan of Konoha." She blushed from the praise. "And the other one is the number one unpredictable ninja of them all."

Zabuza began to laugh, and the battle took a dark turn.

* * *

><p>Hinata's efforts to break Haku's ice mirrors had been in vain. Even with her newly augmented Byakugan, she couldn't hit Haku with shuriken without him blocking them. Her confidence began dwindling. <em>This is bad... Sasuke-kun is going to-<em> Just then, she noticed something on the edge of her vision. Her grin returned. _Yes!_ _He's here!_

Naruto arrived in a burst of smoke. "Uzumaki Naruto has finally arrived!" he announced. "Now that I'm here, everything's gonna be fine! The main character of a story usually shows up just in the nick of time to _kick the enemy's ass!_"

Hinata felt renewed strength from Naruto's arrival. _We can win this._

Suddenly, Zabuza threw some Shuriken at Naruto, only to be blocked by an equal amount of needles from Haku. "Haku, what is this?" asked Zabuza.

"Zabuza-san... please let me fight these children my way," Haku answered.

"So you don't want me to interfere? You're as soft as always," said Zabuza.

With a quick jolt of worry, Hinata watched as Naruto leaped through the air into the very circle in which Sasuke had been trapped. "Oh no!" she squeaked as Naruto and Sasuke began to argue about the former's decision. This made Naruto's timely arrival now thoroughly _untimely_. With both of them trapped and Kakashi engaging Zabuza... "We're doomed," Hinata whispered, unaware that she was saying it out loud.

"Don't worry, Hinata!" called Kakashi. "Protect Tazuna-san, follow my orders, and everything will be okay. You can see through the mist now. You've come along way." He used his kunai to swat several shuriken which had suddenly appeared out of the air.

Stirred by Kakashi's words, she resumed focus, watching for movement. "Watch your six, sensei!" she yelled.

Kakashi turned and for a brief second his hand crackled with energy as he swiped at Zabuza, who wasn't able to completely dodge the Lightning Blade and took a small blow to the shoulder before retreating. "I've underestimated your brats, Kakashi," said Zabuza. "I've underestimated you as well. To think that I would see the Copy Ninja's one-and-only original jutsu... I'm honored."

Hinata's blood pumped rapidly from her success in assisting Kakashi. Maybe they would make it through this after all. _I just have to believe in Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun. _"Kakashi-sensei! Three o'clock!" she called and Kakashi ducked the giant blade swing.

* * *

><p>While Kakashi's battle raged on in their favor, Naruto and Sasuke were not faring so well. Haku had stepped up his game and even though Hinata had noticed a change in Sasuke's chakra flow, particularly around his eyes, they were only barely managing to dodge the deadly needles flying through the air. Hinata told herself that it would be okay, that all she had to do was concentrate on aiding Kakashi, even though she couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity that hit her whenever she focused on Haku's chakra.<p>

Until she saw Sasuke hit the floor, that is.

_Oh no!_ Sasuke had been the one dodging everything and had taken a load of needles for Naruto. _Is Sasuke-kun...?_ She focused further on his body and managed to catch a steady, though weakened chakra flow. _Thank goodness,_ she thought in relief. She still worried about how Naruto would now handle the battle. She desperately wanted to go help him, but if she left Tazuna alone, Zabuza would surely kill him. She began shaking, her mind split between her duty and her desire to assist Naruto.

Naruto's sudden change in chakra flow changed her mind. The color of his chakra changed dramatically, from a serene blue to a bright, blazing red, emanating from his abdomen. _What is this?_ The chakra began manifesting itself physically above Naruto, forming the shape of an awful face, almost like a dog or even a fox. His numerous wounds instantly healed themselves. Hinata had never seen anything like it. It was as though he had_ two _chakra sources, but that was impossible. She focused further on its source, trying to gauge its true nature, but the more she looked, the more she became frightened.

Suddenly, as she gazed upon it, she felt it _look back at her. _A horrible sensation overwhelmed her: she felt as though her a monster's claws were crushing her throat. She screamed, deactivating her Byakugan out of reflex and the sensation dissipated.

Kakashi, having apparently noticed Naruto's chakra as well, had brought out a scroll and drew a line of his blood on it, intending to swiftly end the fight with Zabuza.

Hinata panted, still shaking from the fear. The sound of a hard impact and the sharp cracking of some object snapped her out of it and the feeling of the demonic chakra vanished. Her worry for Naruto returned to her and she reactivated her Byakugan. Naruto's chakra had returned to normal and her nerves relaxed. Just then, the feeling of familiarity from earlier made sense to her. Since Haku had stopped molding his ice-release chakra, Hinata could analyze his chakra: she recognized it as the chakra of the boy she had met briefly while searching for Naruto.

As Hinata tried to comprehend what she had witnessed, Kakashi called, "Hinata! Thanks for your help, but I'm ending this now. _Kuchiyose: doton: tsuiga no jutsu (summoning: earth release: tracking fang technique)!"_ He planted his hands in the ground and next to Zabuza the _ninken_ erupted from the earth, each one clamping their jaws around one of his body parts. "That's what happens when you have your eyes closed in the mist," Kakashi explained. "This summoning is especially useful for tracking down an enemy. Thanks to Hinata, I was able to mark you early on in the battle with a special seal."

Zabuza looked towards where Kakashi had swiped him. It had been a minor wound, so Zabuza had dismissed it, but there it was: a seal hidden amongst the scratches on the flesh. He let out a bitter chuckle. "I truly did underestimate your brats," he muttered.

"The seal emits their favorite scent, imperceptible to most humans. These dogs' noses are more powerful than any other. You're trapped in my jutsu." Kakashi focused his Sharingan on Zabuza. "The mist has cleared. Your future is _death._" Lightning Blade in hand, he rushed towards Zabuza...

* * *

><p>Hinata felt a troubling mix of emotions as she and her team stood at Haku and Zabuza's graves, two weeks later. After all their struggles, the end had been so abrupt, yet so intense. At once, Hinata was happy that they had won the battle and that the village and Team 7 was safe. Yet after everything Haku and Zabuza had said about being shinobi...<p>

"Kakashi-sensei," she piped up, frowning as she faced the ground. "Were these two... right about being shinobi?"

"A shinobi isn't supposed to pursue his own goals. Becoming the country's tool is the most important. It's the same for Konoha," Kakashi answered.

"Is that what it really means to become a ninja?" said Naruto, bitter expression upon his face. "You know what? I don't like it!"

"You think so too?" said Sasuke.

"Well, each and every ninja has to live their lives dealing with that issue, just like Zabuza and this boy," Kakashi explained.

"Okay! I just decided! I'm going to be a ninja in my own way!" declared Naruto. Kakashi and Hinata smiled.

* * *

><p>After they said their goodbyes to Tazuna, Tsunami and Inari, Team 7 departed from the village. "Yay! Let's get home fast so I can have Iruka-sensei treat me to ramen! Oh yeah, and I totally have to tell Konohamaru of my legendary feats!"<p>

"C-can I c-come along?" asked Hinata timidly.

"Sure! You can help me tell the story!" Naruto replied enthusiastic. Her heart swelled and she smiled. "We should do _another_ A-rank mission!" he told Kakashi. Hinata stumbled a bit at the prospect.

"No," said Kakashi. "Zabuza and Haku... it's a miracle that we all survived a battle at that level." Naruto let out a noise of disappointment. "Well, you can do another A-rank mission when you train and get stronger."

Naruto _hmm'd_ in thought. ""Well, I wanna do that, but first I've gotta find the strength to fight for the things I want to protect!" At Kakashi's confused look, he explained, "Just like Haku said, when people want to protect something, they can become as strong as they need to be!"

"I see," said Kakashi after a pause. "So you think that way as well, then?"

"Yeah! I realized it after seeing Zabuza and Haku."

"M-me too," Hinata said quietly. "I want to become strong so I can protect what's important to me."

Kakashi smiled. "I'm proud of you guys," he said, generating expressions of surprise on Naruto and Hinata's face.

After a few more minutes of walking, Hinata said, "It's strange, but... saying goodbye to Zabuza and Haku... it feels like we're leaving some friends behind."

"You too, Hinata?" said Naruto, to her surprise. "Even if they were our enemies, I really liked them." He turned to Kakashi. "Is that weird?"

Kakashi chuckled, shaking his head. "No," he said. "I liked them too."

* * *

><p>Eventually, they returned to the village and Kakashi separated from them to deliver their report. Soon after, Sasuke and Naruto exchanged awkward looks before the former left with a wave and a minor goodbye. Hinata's heart pumped harder as she was left alone with Naruto. "W-well, I'd b-better get going," she said awkwardly. Naruto murmured a noise of confirmation. <em>Stupid! No! This is your chance to be with him for a while and you're blowing it!<em> "Um, N-Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you... feeling okay?"

"What do you mean?"

_I mean do you know what happened with that awful chakra that overtook you when you thought Sasuke-kun was dead? _she desperately wanted to ask. The question had been weighing on her mind for the last two weeks. "I mean... do your wounds from the battle still hurt?" _Coward!_

Naruto shook his head. "Nope. After a good night's sleep, I always feel great in the morning. Plus, your medicine's been a real help!" He smiled at her. "You know, Hinata, when you and I were put on the same team, I thought..."

"What?" she asked, barely hiding her eagerness to hear his answer.

"I thought you'd be a complete drag and that I'd never have any fun." Hinata's heart stopped for a second. "But after this mission... I'm really glad you're on Team 7!" he said cheerfully, patting her on the shoulder.

The weight of his hand felt like a million tons and she was surprised that she did not immediately collapse. Her heart resumed its beat, a thousand times its original pace. _Don't just stand there, stupid! Say something!_ "Th... thank you," she managed weakly.

"No problem. Anyway, I'm gonna get going. See you later!" He waved over his head and ran off towards his apartment.

A good twenty minutes passed before Hinata was able to move.

* * *

><p>"<em>Naruto-kun, why did you want to meet with me?" asked Hinata. She didn't quite know where she was.<em>

"_Well, you really helped me with my training in the Wave country, so I thought we could train some more together," said Naruto._

"_Oh, of course," said Hinata, smiling. "I'd be glad to help."_

"_Plus... I just want to spend some more time with you," he added softly._

"_Naruto-kun?"_

"_Hinata..." He moved towards her, arms outstretched, ready to embrace her. She felt her pulse quicken._

_Closing her eyes, she leaned into it, letting herself be swept up by his arms. "Oh, Naruto-kun," she said. But instead of his hands wrapped around her, she felt two sets of claws digging into her back. "N-Naruto-kun?" Her eyes opened._

_It was not Naruto holding her – at least, not the Naruto she knew. It was a horrible fox demon, covered in flames, grinning maliciously at her. "Naruto isn't here," the demon growled. "It's just me now."_

Hinata practically jumped out of bed as she woke from the dream. She was covered in sweat and hyperventilating. It had all seemed so real. She still shook from the remnants of terror. She couldn't shake that feeling, that terrible feeling that had overtaken her when she had tried to look to the source of the red chakra all those weeks ago. It had _looked_ at her. It was _alive. _But it didn't make any sense and Naruto didn't seem to know anything about it. _Maybe Kakashi-sensei knows what it was,_ she thought. _He seemed to take notice of it too, after all. _She decided that she would talk to him about it in the morning and attempted to go back to sleep.

This attempt would prove to be a failure.

* * *

><p>Aaand that's the Wave country arc done. I hope y'all liked it. I tried to put as much as I could in there, but Sakura had a pretty passive role for this part of the story, so it was a little difficult. The timeline's gonna start splitting more and more, though, so buckle up. I'll start a list of major changes to the timeline with this chapter.<p>

Changes:

-Due to Hinata's Byakugan, Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata all gained more strength than normal from the tree-climbing exercise.

Anyway, as always, leave a review! Next up is the chuunin exam!


	5. Crash

As always, I'd like to thank my wonderful readers for reading and reviewing. Here's a question I'd like to ask you all: how much deviation from the timeline would you like to see? I have to balance between not making any impact and making too much impact to the point where it's unrealistic. Well, as unrealistic as things can seem in a story about wizard ninjas. For instance, I want to make Hinata stronger than Sakura at their respective intervals of training because I believe Hinata is a harder worker than Sakura. According to the databooks, aside from the protagonists who were trained by the _Sannin, _Hinata is the most improved out of all the Konoha 12.

I also just like Hinata more than Sakura, if that wasn't too apparent. But hey, you guys knew what you were getting into reading this.

Anyway, some input there would be lovely. And for those wondering about the M rating, don't worry. It may take some chapters, but _damn_ it we're gonna get there. For now, though, I'll set it to its more appropriate T rating.

Man that was a long preface.

Disclaimer: No way do I own this.

Introduction:

In any body of water, obstacles lie in the way of waves. Be it above the surface or below, these structures serve as immovable guardians against which the waves must crash and disperse.

But with enough constructive interference, a wave may build, gaining power and size. Whereas in another pond, a wave may break against an obstacle, in a pond where that wave has grown in power, that very same obstacle may be broken.

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: Crash<p>

"If you want me to stop making you look bad," said Sasuke, "Then just get stronger than me."

Tensions ran high in Team 7, Hinata thought as she awkwardly watched Naruto and Sasuke glare at each other. "M-maybe we should all just take a deep b-breath..." she suggested, forcing a smile. Neither of them listened.

The sense of accomplishment gained from completing their A-Rank mission had subsided rather quickly. Instead of being invigorated by their team's success as Hinata thought might happen, the team – meaning Naruto and Sasuke – had begun falling to infighting more and more. While it was true the boys weren't exactly best friends despite Hinata's best efforts to make the team run smoothly, after these past few missions they were constantly at each others' throats.

To make things worse, every time she tried to ask Kakashi about the red chakra she'd observed from Naruto, he would brush it off or make up an excuse and leave. _Still, it doesn't hurt to try. _"Kakashi-sensei, I've been meaning to ask you-" she began.

Kakashi, turning his head up at something unseen by the others, cut her off, "That's it for today. I have to go submit this mission report."

"Then I'm going home," said Sasuke, turning to leave.

"Kakashi-sensei, wait!" Hinata reached out to Kakashi, but he had already disappeared. She sighed. _Why does that always happen? Is he avoiding me, or is it just a coincidence? _She turned to Naruto, who was preoccupied with a box on the ground.

"What kind of rock is squares with two holes in it?" he accused the box. "I see right through that!"

Three children climbed out from under the box. "That's the man I view as my rival!" said Konohamaru, arms crossed.

The three kids discussed playing "ninja" with Naruto, which amused Hinata slightly. "A ninja playing 'ninja,' Naruto-kun?" she asked, chuckling.

"W-well, it's not like that..." he said, scratching his head, embarrassed.

"Hey bro, who's this girl?" Konohamaru yelled excitedly, pointing a finger at Hinata. He analyzed her expression for a moment before planting his fist in his palm, clarity appearing on his face. "Not bad, bro..." he said not too quietly to Naruto, who looked confused. "She's your..." He held up his pinky finger. "This?"

Hinata's face erupted into complete redness. Sweat poured down her face. Dizziness overtook her. "Er, me, a-a-and N-Naruto-kun?" she stammered. "Th-that's- it's- I"

Naruto laughed. "Oh, that? Nah, Hinata and I are just friends. Right Hinata?"

The world stopped spinning around Hinata. Her face blanched. The words "just friends" bounced around in her skull. "Yes..." she muttered tonelessly. "That's... right."

Konohamaru shrugged. "Oh. That's a shame. She's pretty, boss."

"Excuse me," said a voice behind them. "Might you be Konoha genin?"

The turned to see two people: a boy dressed in all black wearing makeup and a blonde girl holding what appeared to be a giant fan. "What's it to you, ugly?" said Konohamaru.

Kankurou smiled. "Well, I just thought we'd have some fun before our leader arrives..."

* * *

><p>"Hey guys!" said Kakashi the next day from above a lamppost. "Today, I got lost on the road of life..."<p>

"Liar!" Naruto accused, enraged. Hinata tried to hide her ever-growing dislike of Kakashi's tardiness.

"Anyway," Kakashi proceeded, glossing over Naruto's anger, "This is sudden, but I've nominated you guys for the chuunin exam."

"You think that makes up for it!" Naruto continued.

"Here are your applications," Kakashi said, offering them each a pamphlet.

"Kakashi-sensei, you're the best!" Naruto squealed, latching onto Kakashi, who was visibly uncomfortable.

"Hey, stop. Let go," said Kakashi, trying to wriggle Naruto off. After succeeding, he added, "This is just a nomination. Whether you take the exam is up to you. Those who wish to take the exam, sign those papers and turn them into room 301 by no later than 4 in the afternoon tomorrow. That's all." With that, he vanished, leaving the team to contemplate the possibility of the exam.

Naruto giggled with glee as he examined the application. "There's gonna be lots of strong guys in this thing! Like that guy from before!" His smile suddenly evaporated as he scowled and Hinata could tell he was thinking that Sasuke, too, was one of the "strong guys" with whom he would have to compete.

To her surprise, however, Sasuke began grinning. _Is he excited to fight strong people? _she wondered and began thinking of what she would do with this exam. _Could I become a chuunin? Naruto-kun is right: there are bound to be plenty of strong people... _She looked at Naruto and Sasuke, remembered their united training, and smiled. _I've become stronger too. I could see through the mist. Maybe even _I _could do it. _She clenched her fist. _I'll do it too. Tomorrow, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun and I will take that test!_

Eventually, the group split and each member went their separate ways. Hinata entered the Hyuuga complex, greeting Ko pleasantly before heading towards her quarters.

On the way, she encountered her cousin Neji in a hallway A sense of nervousness suddenly took her over as he looked in her eyes. "Hello, Hinata-sama," he uttered, bowing.

"Hello, Neji-niisan," she replied, returning his bow and trying her best to appear calm and cool.

He glanced at the pamphlet in her hand. "Is that the chuunin exam application?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Huh? Oh, y-yes," she replied. "Kakashi-sensei nominated my team... I think I'm going to take the test."

An awkward moment passed. "Ah," said Neji plainly. Hinata's shoulders relaxed until he continued. "Well, far be it from me to tell the main house what to do, but I do not think it is a good idea for you to take this exam, Hinata-sama."

"Wh-why is that?" she asked after a moment.

"Isn't it obvious?" said Neji. "You aren't really cut out for it." Hinata felt stricken. "Hinata-sama, there will be many, many strong shinobi from all over the world at this exam. Do you think you can honestly best all of them?"

"I... might do okay..." she muttered, unable to look him in the eye.

"Let's not fool ourselves, Hinata-sama. I'm just looking out for your best interests. You'll get hurt. After all, _I_ will be taking part in this exam." His voice took a deeper tone. "I do not want you to have to fight me." She noted his specific wording as she stood there, unable to reply. "Please. For both our sakes."

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Suddenly, Ko entered the hall and said, "Neji, you're needed in the west training hall. Oh, Hinata-sama, excuse me. I thought you'd gone to your room."

Neji nodded. "I'll be on my way," he said as he began to leave. He turned his head towards Hinata. "Consider what I've said, Hinata-sama. Make the right decision."

Hinata continued on her way, breathing harder with every step. Once she was out of Ko's line of sight, she sprinted away towards her room, entered, slammed the door shut and flopped on the bed. Minutes – maybe hours, she wasn't sure – passed as she stared up at the ceiling, expressionless. _I was doing so well,_ she thought. Her eyes began to sting. _I thought I was becoming strong. I..._

She clutched the application in one shaking fist, planted her face in a pillow, and for the first time in months, wept and wept and wept until sleep took her.

Hinata awoke the next morning in the clothes she'd worn the previous day. A bit of ink from the application stained her palms. She stood up and looked in the mirror: her cheeks were red and puffy. She breathed deep, trying to organize her thoughts. She felt like she was moving through syrup. The only upside to the past night was that she'd had a dreamless sleep – no doubt due to emotional exhaustion – so the nightmare of Naruto's red chakra hadn't returned. _I should just stay home today..._ she thought. Her eyes passed by the picture of Team 7 on her bedside table. _I guess should tell them in person._

Slowly, she made her way to the chuunin exam entrance building where Naruto and Sasuke were waiting. "There you are!" said Naruto, eagerness plain on his face. "Let's go in!" He gestured and began to turn.

"Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun..." she muttered.

"What is it? C'mon! It's already 3:30!"

"I... I'm not taking the exam!" she blurted, heart pounding. Her body had completely tensed up.

Naruto looked at her wide-eyed, frowning. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Why?" asked Naruto.

"I'm not cut out for this," she repeated Neji's words, staring at the floor."I barely did anything when we were in the Wave country. I'm better off staying as a genin."

"Hinata," said Sasuke. "Without your assistance, we wouldn't have gotten as far as we could have in our training."

"Yeah, yeah! And without your medicine, we would've been hurt a lot more!" Naruto agreed, nodding.

Hinata blushed. "You guys..."

"Come on," said Sasuke, shining a rare grin. "We'll need your skills to get through this. With my Sharingan and your Byakugan, we'll be unstoppable. Let's take this exam."

"Together! As Team 7!" Naruto said, fist raised.

Despite her best efforts to the contrary, Hinata found herself smiling. Relaxing her shoulders, she stepped forward.

The three entered the exam building, finding the door to the registration area blocked by two genin. "We're just weeding out the failures," said one of the genin to those surrounding. "Is that so wrong?"

"I agree," said Sasuke, "But you're going to let us through and dispel the genjutsu surrounding this place. I'm going to the _third_ floor."

"So you noticed," said the other genin.

"Hinata," Sasuke tilted his head in her direction.

Hinata was a step ahead: her Byakugan was already active. "This is the second floor," she said, grinning.

"Yup!" agreed Naruto.

"Hmm, not bad," said the first genin. "But all you did was _see through it."_ He aimed a kick at Sasuke, who prepared to retaliate, but both were blocked instantly by a boy in an all- green body suit.

Sasuke looked surprised. Hinata, however, recognized the boy. "Lee-kun?" she said.

"You know this bushy-brows?" said Naruto.

After releasing the kicks he'd blocked, Lee looked at Hinata, smiling. "Ah, Hinata-san. Good to see you." Turning to Naruto, he said, "Yes. I am on the same genin team as Hinata-san's-"

"Lee," said Neji, stepping forward. "That's enough. Let's get going." He focused on Hinata. "Hinata-sama. Surprising to see you here."

Hinata did not back down from his gaze. "I'll see you in the exam room, Neji-niisan," she said, stalwart.

_'Niisan'? _wonderedNaruto, glancing back and forth between the two cousins.

After a moment, Neji began to leave, his teammates tagging along after him.

"Let's go, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun," said Hinata and the three of them started making their way towards the exam room.

* * *

><p>One challengehumiliation from Lee, a grueling written exam and an attempted assault from a Rain shinobi later, Team 7 sat in the Forest of Death contemplating their next strategy, deciding that a password would be the best bet. Everyone but Hinata had been surprised when Lee had made a fool of Sasuke, but Hinata knew – he was almost good enough to fight Neji. It was true Sasuke was strong for his age and experience, but Lee had a full year on them.

What had been a total surprise, on the other hand, was Naruto's sudden declaration that he'd never give up, regardless of what the "mysterious" tenth question held for them. Of course, Hinata offered to let him cheat on the exam, but Naruto figured he'd get caught if he tried. Still, she couldn't help but find his speech inspirational. Even now, she didn't feel that scared of the horrible death-giving forest that surrounded them.

Without warning, a tremendous gust of wind sent the group flying, scattering them. Sasuke managed to find Hinata first. "Hold it right there," said Sasuke, brandishing a kunai. "Password first." Hinata recited it and Sasuke relaxed.

Suddenly, Naruto stumbled towards them. "Oww... are you guys alright?" he said.

"Naruto, say th-" began Sasuke, but before he could finish, Hinata ran forward and embraced Naruto.

"Thank goodness you're okay, Naruto-kun!" Hinata cried, holding Naruto close.

For a moment, Sasuke was too stunned by this uncharacteristic display to say anything. "Hinata, get away from him!" he yelled. "We don't know that that's really Naruto!"

"Don't worry, Sasuke-kun," said Hinata, pulling back from Naruto while keeping one arm on his shoulder. She placed a hand gently on his abdomen. "I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty..." Suddenly, Naruto's eyes widened as he doubled over, as if suddenly struck very hard in the stomach. Sasuke noted a slight trail of chakra emanating from her now stiffened palm. "... That this is _definitely not_ Naruto-kun!" Hinata finished.

The fake Naruto coughed up blood before licking it from his lips with a much too long tongue. "How..?" he asked, grinning maliciously. "Your Byakugan isn't-" Hinata weaved a sign and a puff of smoke signified the release of her transformation, revealing her active Byakugan. The fake Naruto chuckled. His disguise disappeared, revealing the creepy Grass ninja from before. "Well done, little princess. But I'm afraid your part here has ended."

"Where is the real Naruto-kun?" she demanded and in her eyes Sasuke saw, for the first time, focused rage.

"Oh, just over at a friend of mine's for dinner," said the Grass ninja, holding up his scroll. "You want my earth scroll, right? Since you have the heaven scroll..." Grabbing hold of it with his elongated tongue, he swallowed his scroll whole. "Now, let's begin the battle for our scrolls... with our lives on the line."

He pulled down on his eyelid and suddenly Hinata was overcome with the sensation of being brutally murdered. _This isn't genjutsu..._ she thought through panicked breaths, trying to focus her Byakugan. She glanced at Sasuke, who seemed to be suffering a similar fate. _Come on, move!_ Her body wouldn't respond.

"Now your bodies won't move," said the Grass ninja, readying two kunai.

_Move! _With the last of her strength, she planted her palm into her thigh and sent a bit of chakra into her leg. The pain was enough to jolt her senses and she leapt out of the way. Sasuke followed suit, jamming a knife into his leg. As he landed, he pulled the knife out, wincing in pain. Hinata, meanwhile, searched for Naruto, unable to find his chakra. _Where is he? _Her thoughts began to race. Unbeknownst to her, Naruto's chakra was being blocked from sight by the chakra of a snake, specifically its innards.

Just then, Hinata noticed a snake behind her. She shrieked and she and Sasuke dodged away. The snake seemed intent on pursuing him, however, and he screamed as he ventilated it with shuriken.

"You guys shouldn't relax for even a moment," said the Grass ninja, emerging from the snake's carcass. "Prey should always flee in the presence of a predator."

He seemed like he was about to continue before a wave of shuriken forced him to dodge. All three of them looked to the thrower: Uzumaki Naruto. "Sorry, Sasuke," said Naruto. "I forgot the stupid password!"

"Naruto-kun!" squealed Hinata and an iota of relief washed over her.

"Looks like you successfully defeated that giant snake, Naruto-kun," said the Grass ninja, slithering along a tree.

"Hey, hey!" Naruto replied, "Looks like you're just picking on the weak!"

Deactivating his Sharingan, Sasuke held up the scroll. "I'll give this to you. Take it and leave us. Please."

"What?" Hinata said. This was very much unlike Sasuke.

"Sasuke, what the hell are you talking about?" yelled Naruto, pointing an accusing finger. "Why would you give the scroll to the enemy?"

"I see," said the Grass ninja. "Very smart. The only way for prey to escape a predator is to give them a different meal."

"Take it!" said Sasuke, tossing the scroll. Naruto moved to intercept. "You stupid bastard! What are you doing? Do you understand the situation?" Naruto suddenly decked Sasuke as hard as he could, to Hinata's surprise. "What the hell was that?" Sasuke said, outraged as he picked himself up.

"I forgot the password so I can't test it," said Naruto. "But you're a fake Sasuke, aren't you?"

Hinata double-took. _Could it be?_ She re-examined Sasuke's chakra. _No, it's the same color as before..._

"You colossal idiot!" said Sasuke. "It's the real me!"

"Liar," accused Naruto. "There's no way such a stupid coward like you is the Sasuke _I_ know. I don't know how strong this guy is, but what guarantee is there that he'll let us go if we just give up the scroll? You're the one who's so freaked out he can't comprehend the situation!"

The Grass ninja laughed. "Correct, Naruto-kun," he said, slathering his wrist with his blood. "After all, I can simply kill you and take the scroll."

"Shut _up!_" roared Naruto, charging him.

"No! Run away, Naruto!" called Sasuke.

Hinata couldn't believe it. She'd never imagine that Sasuke would tell anyone to run away out of fear.

"_Kuchiyose no jutsu (summoning technique)_" said the Grass ninja and a tremendous snake appeared underneath him, swatting Naruto away.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata cried as the snake began to crush Naruto.

"Go ahead and eat him," said the Grass ninja sadistically.

Hinata couldn't sit by anymore. She prepared to leap into action, but as she readied herself, Naruto suddenly kicked the snake with such force that its mouth slammed shut. "_Eat shit!_" he yelled.

_Naruto-kun... so strong!_ Hinata remarked mentally but just then, her Byakugan caught sight of the color of Naruto's chakra: red; blazing, blood red. She froze, again paralyzed by fear. _What will he do? Did he attack Haku last time because he was his enemy, or because he was the only standing thing around them?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the Grass ninja swiftly riding the snake towards Sasuke. "It's your turn now, Sasuke-kun!" he said gleefully before being stopped dead in his tracks by Naruto, who had suddenly revived.

"Hey," said Naruto, panting as he looked at Sasuke. "Did you get hurt, chicken-kun?" From behind, the snake's tail coiled around Naruto, lifting him into the air. "Damn it! Let go of me!"

"So, the Nine-Tails brat is still alive..." said the Grass ninja, weaving a sign.

Something moved in Hinata, pushing the terror aside to take control of her mind. _Naruto-kun is in danger,_ she thought as the fear relinquished her. She jumped at the Grass ninja, hurling shuriken and kunai at him. _It doesn't matter what color his chakra is – Naruto-kun is Naruto-kun and he is putting his life on the line for us! _The Grass ninja blocked and dodged her attacks effortlessly, but it distracted him enough for Hinata to grab Naruto and pull him from the snake's clutches. As she did so, however, the Grass ninja pulled a short sword from his throat and threw it at them. Hinata managed to dodge, but Naruto was grazed along the cheek, giving him a cut to match his other one.

"That ought to keep him out of the fight for now," said the Grass ninja.

As Hinata laid Naruto down, she saw what the Grass ninja meant: Naruto's strangely red pupils were dilating. His chakra flow was erratic. _He's been poisoned! This is all my fault..._ she told herself and turned back to the battle, fist clenched.

Once more, rushed at the Grass ninja, who easily repelled her, knocking her away."You're a hundred years too young to fight me, dear," he said and the condescension in his voice stoked the flame of Hinata's anger.

"Sasuke-kun!" she called, rebounding off of a tree, ready to fight again. "Please, Naruto-kun is hurt! I need your help!"

At last, Sasuke snapped out of it. Sharingan reactivated, he flew into the air, throwing kunai at the Grass ninja, who dodged effortlessly before being trapped by Sasuke's wires. "_Katon! Ryuuka no jutsu (Fire release: Dragon Fire Technique)!"_ Sasuke roared, igniting the wires and immolating the Grass ninja.

The Grass ninja's face melted, revealing what appeared to be a second skin underneath."To be able to use the Sharingan this well at your young age..." he began.

"Now!" Sasuke called.

Hinata sprang up behind the Grass ninja from underneath the tree, thrusting her palm into his spine. A look of actual shock overtook his face. "The fire was... a distraction?" he said, stumbling as Hinata retreated. The shock faded from his expression, replaced with smug satisfaction. "To think you thought that far ahead... You really are a genius with Uchiha blood. You've much more power hidden than Itachi, Sasuke-kun."

"Who are you?" roared Sasuke, glaring at the Grass ninja.

The Grass ninja began immolating the scroll. "My name is Orochimaru. If you wish to see me again... defeat the three Sound ninja under my command." Suddenly, his neck extended as he lunged at Sasuke, biting him on the throat. "Sasuke-kun will seek me... for power," said Orochimaru as Sasuke doubled over, groaning in agony.

"What did you do?" asked Hinata.

"I gave him a going away present," said Orochimaru, sinking into the tree.

Sasuke continued to moan in pain. _What do I do?_ Hinata wondered, panic rising in her chest. _Naruto-kun is poisoned, Sasuke-kun is hurt. I can't do this. I can't- _A loud scream from Sasuke snapped her out of her daze._ I have to do this. I need to protect them both._

Hinata sat on her knees, slowly rocking back and forth without knowing it. Exhaustion threatened to incapacitate her. She'd been awake for an unknown number of hours – all she knew was that it was the dead of night - Byakugan active the whole time. Even the tiny amount of chakra sustaining it required had begun heavily chipping away at her stamina by keeping it active the whole time.

Worry for her teammates kept her awake. She had done all she could to patch them up; she'd gone through an entire container of her medicine covering their wounds. She didn't know whether it would do any good: Naruto's poison seemed only paralytic, not lethal, and she had no idea what the mark on Sasuke's neck was doing to him other than irritating his chakra flow like she'd never seen. It was as if that Orochimaru's chakra was invading his, corrupting it. Looking at it made her more feel more disgust than even Naruto's red chakra.

_That red chakra..._ She contemplated it. Orochimaru had said something – he'd called Naruto "the Nine-Tails brat" and had said that the red chakra came out when Naruto was in danger to give him strength. This information only confused Hinata more. What exactly _was_ this Nine-Tails? Where did that red chakra come from? She resolved to hound Kakashi until he gave her a direct answer, no matter what it took, once they got out of here. _If we get out of here, _she thought grimly.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," she whispered. "This is all my fault..." She felt tears rising.

"Nnh," Naruto stirred. Hinata snapped to attention.

"Naruto-kun?"

His eyes slowly blinked open. "G'morning..." he muttered, lifting his head up. "Hinata... is that you?"

"Naruto-kun..." The feeling of tears returned, this time out of relief. "You're okay... you're okay! Thank goodness!" She leaned forward, wrapping her arms tight around Naruto's neck. "Thank goodness..."

"Hinata, that kinda hurts..." he groaned.

Hinata relinquished him as if dropping hot coal. "S-sorry!" she squeaked.

With a bit of struggle, Naruto managed to sit up. Hinata noticed that his pallor seemed to improve by the second. "What happened?" he asked, stretching.

"Orochimaru – that Grass ninja – he p-poisoned you because I dodged his knife and it hit you and then Sasuke-kun and I fought him for a bit and we thought we'd beaten him but then his face melted off and he bit Sasuke-kun on the neck and gave him that weird mark and Sasuke-kun collapsed in pain and he's got a fever now and his chakra is disrupted but I've been keeping watch over you two so no one's been able to attack us and I'm really sorry that you got poisoned by me, I understand if you hate me for it but I was just trying to help so-"

"You were protecting us?" Naruto said, cutting off her desperate babble. He smiled. "Thanks, Hinata. We'd be totally screwed without you."

For the first time since they'd entered the forest, Hinata felt herself relax. The energy drained out of her and she fell backwards, unconscious but smiling.

* * *

><p>Some time later, Hinata awoke. Naruto's jacket was draped over her again. She sat straight up. "Naruto-kun?" She spotted him near her, fanning the flames of a bonfire he'd made. A pile of fish on a makeshift stone plate sat next to him along with a bucket of water hewn from what looked like a hollow tree stump and rope. Sasuke was lying a few feet away.<p>

"Oh, you're awake," he said pleasantly, turning to her. "I had some _kagebunshin_ go and get us some firewood. I also had 'em catch some fish for us. It took a while to make, since Sasuke's out and the fish are pretty crunchy, but I did my best..."

"That's wonderful..." she muttered, walking over to the fire. "How long was I out?"

"Just an hour, maybe an hour and a half..." he said, finger on chin. "I'm not too sure. It's kinda hard to tell time here."

"You c-could have woken me," she said quietly.

"I didn't want to. You stayed up protecting us, set up those traps; I figured I should return the favor."

She smiled. "Thank you." She paused. "Wait, how did you know about the traps?"

An uncharacteristic blush and expression of general embarrassment appeared on his face. "Well, it's kinda stupid, but..." he scratched the back of his head, "One of my _bunshin_ triggered one of them. Got kind of... exploded. Don't worry, though, I totally reset it!" he said quickly.

A laugh bubbled out of her and Naruto couldn't help but find it strangely cute. "It's okay, Naruto-kun. Thank you, again, for this. We can sleep in shifts if the poison is still bothering you," she said, though she knew it would mean wasting the chance to spend some time with him.

"Maybe in a bit," said Naruto and Hinata's heart fluttered. "I'm okay for now. Whenever I get some sleep, I feel pretty good after, no matter how sick I get."

"Well, if you're sure," she muttered.

Silence crystallized around them, only to be shattered by a pained groan from Sasuke. Hinata quickly got up and applied a wet towel to his forehead before sitting back down at Naruto's left. "Sheesh, we always have to take care of that guy, huh?" he said cockily.

Hinata giggled lightly and Naruto grinned. Her laughter was like a cool breeze on a hot day, letting him settle from the fear of the ever-present danger that surrounded them on all sides. "Yeah," she said and found herself leaning to her right, coming to a stop with her head resting gently on Naruto's shoulder. To her surprise, only half of her was questioning the sanity of pulling such an audacious move. The other half of her held steady, letting calm and relaxation caress her heart. Naruto shifted and for a moment, the former half of her mind surged forward, making her blink frantically, before subsiding as his arm reached under her chin and around her head, petting her head gently. The latter half of her overtook the former and Hinata felt completely rested.

"Want some fish?" he asked quietly.

"Sure," she whispered, though she didn't want to move from her completely comfortable spot. Before she could even shift, though, Naruto had brought a fish to her mouth. Her heart pounded madly. "I c-can get it myself, N-Naruto-kun. You don't have to..."

"I'm returning another favor," he said gently. "Don't worry about it."

Hinata's mind flashed back to the bell test and how she had fed him since he'd been tied up. She took a bite of the fish. Yes, it was overcooked in some parts, undercooked in others, and it wasn't exactly the most tasty meal, but something in her couldn't help but decide that it was utterly delicious. All of a sudden, the chuunin exam, Orochimaru, Neji, and every other trouble dissolved from her mind. With those next few bites, what she felt was simply _peace._

The night passed quickly and quietly but for the sounds of nature and Hinata didn't mind it one bit.

* * *

><p>D'aw, writing that bit made me feel all warm and fuzzy.<p>

Man, that Orochimaru fight took way longer than expected. Made this the longest chapter yet! Hope you don't mind.

The timeline continues to diverge:

-Due to Hinata's Byakugan, Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata all gained more strength than normal from the tree-climbing exercise.

-Thanks to Hinata's interference, Orochimaru does not place the Five Elements seal on Naruto, so Naruto is not incapacitated for as long.

It's tricky writing a timeline that is different enough to be unique but similar enough to the main timeline to be recognizable and understandable. I appreciate every piece of input, so as always, please review! The second half of the chuunin exam is comin'.


	6. Break

Quite a bit of input this time around from my wonderful readers. Your feedback helps me persevere! Let's keep it going with another new chapter at no extra cost!

This chapter might have a bit of Hinata's character not really seen that much, but I think it's not that much of a stretch given this new timeline. Hinata fans ought to enjoy it, I think.

Disclaimer: the usual

Introduction:

A wave is confined by its barriers. Be they a dam or the shore, a wave must always remain within those boundaries, never flowing past.

However, if a wave were to grow in size and power continuously, pushed by a synergistic force, there is a chance the wave may overcome. Pushed beyond its limits, the wave may overflow its body of water, reaching farther than ever expected.

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: Break<p>

_Perfect,_ thought Dosu of the Sound as he happened upon the clearing. Uchiha Sasuke was lying helpless on the ground. The only thing that stood – or rather, sat – in their way was a girl Dosu recognized as Hyuuga Hinata. Despite her posture, she was very clearly unconscious next to the remains of a bonfire. _Poor girl,_ Dosu mused in delight. _Couldn't handle staying up all night. Well, her loss is our gain._

"Let's go! I'm tired of waiting!" hissed Zaku, his teammate.

"Patience is a virtue," said Dosu. "Not that any of us are particularly virtuous, but even so, it is better to approach with caution."

The three Sound shinobi emerged from the bushes, gingerly stepping through the grass so as to not trip any traps. "Look at this pampered little princess," said Kin, sneering as she approached Hinata. "Hey Dosu, is it okay if I kill her?"

"Do what you like with her," said Dosu. "All that matters is that we fight Sasuke."

"Perfect," said Kin, drawing a kunai. She raised it, paused for a moment to enjoy the anticipation, and then ran it through Hinata's heart. However, instead of blood gushing from the wound, she merely popped into a burst of smoke. "What?" said Kin, confused.

"Kin, watch out!" called Zaku. "It's-"

"Just a _kagebunshin!"_ said Naruto, emerging from above the canopy of trees and kicking Zaku in the face while Hinata jumped down and tagged Kin in the arm as she dodged away. "It worked, Hinata, just like you said!"

"Good work, Naruto-kun!" Hinata replied, assuming her fighting stance, Byakugan active.

"Clever," said Dosu to Naruto, not caring about his comrades' well-being. "You created a _kagebunshin_ that looked like your teammate to make you look vulnerable. Well, I hope you're proud of it. Now please, step aside or die so that we may fight Sasuke-kun."

"As if!" said Naruto, charging Dosu. Dosu simply sidestepped Naruto before knocking him with his sound-generating arm. "Damn it! What the hell was that?" raged Naruto, clutching at his ear.

"You'll see soon enough," answered Dosu. "Kin, handle the girl. Zaku, go ahead and kill Sasuke-kun."

"My pleasure," said Zaku as he started running towards Sasuke.

"I won't let you!" yelled Hinata, throwing shuriken at Zaku. Zaku grinned and turned his hands towards the volley. _Is he planning on catching them? _Suddenly, a tremendous gust of wind burst from his hands and the shuriken immediately reversed direction, heading back for Hinata. She managed to dodge, but one of them caught Kin in the cheek.

"Watch it, idiot! That almost got me!" Kin shouted.

"That's your own fault!" Zaku replied, grinning. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to kill this guy!"

_They may have good coordination, but they don't appear to like each other. I can use that,_ Hinata thought, charging Zaku. "So you're the leader, then?" she said, throwing a palm which Zaku dodged. "I guess it makes sense: someone like Orochimaru wouldn't put anyone as incompetent as the other two in charge." _Please, let this work._

Zaku looked stunned for a moment at Orochimaru's name. "Zaku? The leader? He's just an idiot!" shouted Kin.

"Why, you-" said Zaku, enraged, as Hinata slammed a palm at his abdomen. He buckled, jumping away from Sasuke's direction.

_Yes!_ thought Hinata, grinning. Her grin faded when she saw Naruto, however. He was stumbling, his punches thrown widely and inaccurately, leaving Dosu plenty of opportunity to hammer at him. _Something's wrong. Is it the poison? _"Naruto-kun!" she called.

"What... did you... do to me?" Naruto said through grit teeth, clutching his ear. He felt so disoriented that he couldn't even focus his chakra properly to create _kagebunshin. _"What was that sound thing you did?" He retracted his hand and found it bloody.

"Your inner ear has been damaged," explained Dosu plainly, dodging another swipe and returning with a kick. "You'll find it hard to balance for, oh, I don't know, just a few hours. That should be enough time to kill you and your friends, though." He turned to his teammates. "Zaku. Kin. Don't let her distract you. You outnumber her."

Confidence returned to Kin and Zaku's faces. "Yeah, that's right," said Zaku. "Nice try, trying to mess us up, but Orochimaru-sama didn't choose us for nothing! Get her, Kin!"

Kin retrieved some _senbon_ from her pack and threw them at Hinata. Hinata jumped out of the way, only to realize a moment too late that she was directly in the path of Zaku's outstretched hands. Her eyes widened.

"_Zankuha (decapitating wind)!" _Zaku roared, blasting at Hinata. She managed to contort herself in such a way as to minimize the damage, but she was still thrown backwards by the wind.

"Piece of cake," said Kin, approaching Hinata, more needles in hand. Hinata leapt to her feet, but saw Zaku run to flank her.

"Hinata!" Naruto called, concerned, but his distraction caused him to receive a hard punch to the face from Dosu.

"You can't help her," Dosu told Naruto as Naruto hit the dirt. "Just give up. It's meaningless to fight."

"He's right, you know," said Kin. "Poor little spoiled princess. There's nobody to take care of you here!" She grinned wildly at Hinata, preparing her needles while Zaku prepared to fire. "And now you die!"

Time slowed down for Hinata. Images sped through her mind at a breakneck pace. She saw her defeat at Hanabi's hands, her father's scorn plain on his face. _Kin threw her needles. _She saw her humiliation by Kakashi during the bell test. _Zaku fired his blast. _She heard her father tell Kakashi that she was not important to the clan. _Hinata took in a sharp breath. _Lastly, Neji's words echoed through her mind: _"You aren't cut out for this."_

"_Hakkeshou Kaiten (Eight Trigrams Heavenly Rotation)!"_ Hinata roared, spinning like a top with chakra flowing from her body. Kin's needles were knocked away and Zaku's blast was neutralized. Hianta tried to hide how astonished with herself she was. She'd never been able to perform the _kaiten_ during her training sessions. Furthermore, the level of depth she could see with her Byakugan had increased by a just barely noticeable amount. Had keeping it active for hours on end the previous night served as an intense training session without her realizing? _What was it Haku said?_ She thought back to that morning in the Wave country.

"_When a person has something to protect, they become _truly_ strong."_

_I'm tired of it._ She lunged at Kin, who attempted to pierce her with needles, but Hinata dodged them. Rather, she pushed enough chakra out of her palm to divert their path and ducked at the same time. _I'm tired of everyone looking down on me, thinking that I can't do anything right. _She caught Kin with a feint, then jabbed her in the shoulder with her right palm. _I'm tired of needing Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun to do everything while I stand around and do nothing. I've been training just as hard as they have! No one is going to help me this time and I can't just rely on them_. She glanced at Naruto. _My precious comrades are in trouble... _"I'm going to protect them no matter what!" she yelled, hitting Kin with a second blow under the chin, sending her flying back. Naruto's words from the written exam returned to her. "I don't go back on my words – that's my shinobi way!"

Naruto, meanwhile, couldn't really hear her. He was going dizzy. The sounds around him were jumbled. He looked at Hinata and even through his haze, he caught her expression: pure, unshakable fury directed at her enemies. It was something he'd never seen before. _Is that really Hinata?_ he wondered. This girl – no, this _kunoichi – _who was always so quiet and gentle, who didn't seem like she could hurt a fly, was now pummeling her opponent without hesitation. Seeing that expression of rage on her usually kind face was such a juxtaposition that it set Naruto off even more than his damaged inner ear.

But strangely, something deep inside him _liked_ it. _Who knew Hinata could kick so much ass?_ he mused before being smacked into the dirt by Dosu, who had also been distracted by Hinata's onslaught, though less so than Naruto.

"If you don't want to die, you should pay less attention to your girlfriend and more attention to how I'm going to kill you," said Dosu, walking calmly towards Naruto. "Or don't. After I'm done with you, I'm going to kill her anyway since my incompetent teammates don't seem capable of beating up a little girl. It makes no difference to me, really."

_I heard that!_ Naruto realized as he stood. He also realized that he could actually stand. What he failed to realize was that his teeth had lengthened and sharpened, that his whiskers had thickened and darkened, and that his eyes had become red with slits for pupils.

Hinata paused for a moment after Kin hit the floor. To Kin's surprise, Hinata instead turned to Zaku, who had not been exempt from feeling shock at Hinata's sudden turn in demeanor. He attempted to rip her apart with his _Zankuha,_ but another _Kaiten_ from Hinata made it useless. She swept a leg undeneath him, making him stumble. As he fell, she ducked down to grip his calves. Zaku felt a pinch of pain before she released them, then jumped back, leaving him on the floor.

"You're gonna wish you'd killed me just now," Naruto growled. "Because I'm going to pay you back for what you did a thousand fold." He rushed at Dosu, who couldn't react before Naruto sent him flying through the branches of a tree. Naruto quickly pursued.

Kin smiled, amazed that her enemy had been stupid enough to just turn her back when she had the advantage. Both she and Zaku flanked Hinata once more. "Bad decision, spoiled princess," said Kin, retrieving more _senbon_. "That move was impressive, but it's gotta be pretty taxing to generate that much chakra from your body. Plus, we can counter it now."

Hinata didn't want to let them know Kin was right. She'd never used the _Kaiten_ before. Her body was overworked pushing out so much chakra from every chakra channel. Still, she stood firm, doing her best to keep her sore palms from shaking. _Please, let that work..._ she urged. Kin reached back to toss her_senbon,_ but suddenly, her arm bent in very unnatural ways. She screamed as she collapsed, the needles falling around her. Hinata grinned. _About time._

"What the hell?" said Zaku, before crumbling to the ground himself, also shrieking in agony.

"You spoiled bitch! What was that ninjutsu?" Kin barked from the ground, clutching her mangled arm.

"It was not a ninjutsu," Hinata explained calmly. "The Gentle Fist style of the Hyuuga clan is the strongest in all of Konoha. I jammed my chakra directly into the musculature and bones of your arm twice. That strike across your face hit your vagus nerve, which regulates many functions in your body. With the frame weakened and your constant tossing of those needles, it was only a matter of time before you broke your arm. As for you," she turned to Zaku. "When I grabbed your legs, I flooded your nerves with my chakra. I don't recommend standing. One more thing." She took a breath. "Maybe I am spoiled. But at least I'm not letting myself be used by scum like Orochimaru."

"How _dare_ you?" roared Zaku. Biting his lip until it bled, he managed to stand. "You think _this _is enough to stop me? I was chosen by Orochimaru-sama _himself!"_ Grinning wildly, he aimed his hands at Hinata. "_Zankuha!"_

_I don't have enough energy to control it! _Hinata tried another _Kaiten,_ but it was only half successful. The majority of the force was dulled, but she felt it tear into her and knock her to the ground.

"You put up a good fight for trash like you," said Zaku, slowly walking towards Hinata, legs shuddering with each step. He was visibly sweating through the pain, but he plowed through it. "Now you die," he growled,

Suddenly, Dosu reappeared, apparently fleeing from Naruto, who appeared a second later. Seeing Hinata on the ground, he grabbed a kunai, aimed it at Hinata, and told Naruto, "Stay back! Or do you think you're fast enough to block this before it slits her throat?"

_No!_ Hinata protested mentally. _I was so close! _Shame filled her heart.

Naruto stopped. He glanced at Hinata, who couldn't meet his eyes. His fox features faded. "Damn you..." he muttered, fist clenched at his own helplessness.

"Yes, damn me," said Dosu. "But I'm afraid it doesn't change the situation. Now let us kill Sasuke or the girl will perish."

A shuriken flew from beyond Dosu's line of sight and knocked the kunai out of his hand. "Naruto... Hinata," came a dark voice from the same direction. "Did these three hurt you?"

Sasuke emerged, Sharingan activated, covered in a black mark that propagated down the left side of his body, smiling nonetheless.

"Finally, you wake up!" called Naruto, oblivious to the change.

"Sasuke-kun, wh-what is that?" asked Hinata.

"Power," Sasuke said after a moment. "It feels amazing, what he gave me. I finally understand it. I am an avenger... even if I must eat the devil's fruit to obtain it, I am on a path where I must gain power." He scowled at the Sound shinobi. "Now... what do I do to punish you three?"

Hinata could hardly understand what was happening: it was as though Orochimaru's chakra were now overriding Sasuke's, consuming it.

"_Zankuha!" _roared Zaku. The blast rocked the battlefield, but when the dust settled, Sasuke was nowhere to be found. "Heh! I blew him away."

"Blew who away?" said Sasuke, appearing behind Zaku, Naruto and Hinata next to him. Naruto was visibly confused as to how he had gotten there. Sasuke, lightning quick, moved to Zaku's side, backhanding him into the dirt. _"Katon! Housenka no jutsu (Fire release: Mythical Fire Flower Technique)!"_ Fireballs erupted from Sasuke's mouth, which Zaku attempted to extinguish, only to be buffeted by the shuriken hidden in the flames.

"Zaku! Below!" called Dosu, but it was too late. Sasuke, grinning like a madman, had already taken Zaku by the arms.

"You're proud of these arms, aren't you?" said Sasuke, enjoying the malice. Hinata flinched and Naruto's eyes went wide at the sickening crack that followed. Zaku collapsed on the floor.

_I have to stop this,_ Hinata decided. _If I don't, Sasuke-kun's chakra will be completely corrupted! I juts hope this works!_ She rushed at Sasuke, jabbing him lightly with her palms at the edges of where the mark had spread. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun!" she said, finishing her work.

Sasuke froze. Hinata watched his chakra, analyzing the fruits of her attempt. With her new sight, she was able to just barely see Sasuke's_ tenketsu_ and had pressed them at points where the dark chakra was encroaching on his regular chakra, augmenting the flow of his chakra network to allow it to cleanse itself. To her great relief, it worked: the mark receded and his regular chakra resumed its normal flow as Sasuke groaned and his legs folded underneath him.

"You're strong," said Dosu, brandishing his scroll. "Sasuke-kun, we cannot defeat you at this time." He placed the scroll on the ground. "Here is a gift. Please allow us to leave. This may seem convenient, but there is something we must ascertain. However, I promise you this: if we meet again during this exam, we will neither run nor hide."

"That's nonsense!" yelled Naruto. "Who the hell _is_ Orochimaru, anyway? Why's he after Sasuke?"

"I don't know. We were simply order to kill Sasuke-kun," Dosu answered as he dragged his team away.

"I'm not letting you go!" Naruto began to charge, but Hinata put her arms around him from behind and he halted.

"Naruto-kun... please..." she said in between hard breaths.

Naruto noticed that her hands were shaking – and not from fear. Sasuke looked worse for wear too. "Alright," he said reluctantly. "You guys can leave. But you'd better not show your faces around here again!"

"We do not plan to," said Dosu and the three Sound shinobi disappeared.

Before Hinata could relax, however, Neji, Lee and Tenten appeared before them. "Hinata-sama," said Neji. "I thought you might have needed me to swoop in and rescue you, but apparently it was handled," he added with a glance at Sasuke. Hinata gulped, still tense. "I'll see you at the tower," he said simply and left, Tenten and Lee following.

Hinata noticed three chakras belonging to Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji sneaking away, but kept silent. _They were watching the whole time... _she realized. She didn't blame them for not stepping in – they had no reason to engage in such a dangerous fight.

"That's it?" said Tenten once they were out of earshot. "I thought maybe you were going to fight them for a bit there."

"No," said Neji. "Let them have their moment. Besides, there's something I want to find out..."

"Uchiha Sasuke," added Lee, "He's different from before..."

_Indeed,_ thought Neji. _Very different._

* * *

><p>Once they found a place to recuperate, Hinata set about patching them up. Naruto needed very little, as his wounds had apparently healed themselves. Hinata was too tired to question it. "We sure showed those jerks!" said Naruto cheerfully. "I bet they tell everyone that they shouldn't mess with us!"<p>

"Doubtful, idiot," Sasuke muttered.

Naruto pushed past his comment with only a minor scowl. "Say, Hinata, you were really something back there! I didn't know you could fight like that!"

"Me neither..." she mumbled, bandaging Sasuke's arm. Though she desperately wished she could simply soak up his praise, her mind would not allow it. _I'm pathetic,_ she thought. _If I had just been stronger, I could have beaten them. Naruto-kun wouldn't have had to use that red chakra, Sasuke-kun wouldn't have needed to use the curse mark... _

"Now we can take our time with these scrolls. I'll hold first watch so you guys can heal up," Naruto declared, arms crossed.

Sasuke looked like he wanted to protest, but apparently decided against it. Instead, he said, "Hinata. Thanks... for what you did back there." His eyes traveled to the hand that had been covered by the curse mark and he felt like vomiting.

"Don't mention it," she said quietly, forcing a smile as she screwed the cap back on her medicine.

* * *

><p>A day passed and neither Hinata nor Sasuke felt up to the task of moving much. The spot they'd picked was apparently pretty good, considering no one had snuck up on them yet. Hinata was supremely grateful for Naruto's stamina – she didn't even want to activate her Byakugan until she was fully healed. Maybe it had been the fact that Sasuke had won them the fight or that now he was the only one on the team, but Naruto seemed very eager to help out in any way possible. A small part of Hinata couldn't resist enjoying his minor servitude.<p>

"Say, Hinata?" said Naruto as they roasted some more fish. It seemed to be the only thing readily available in this forest. Sasuke rested nearby.

"Hmm?" She tore into their snack.

"What's up with you and that Neji guy, anyway?"

Pause. "What do you mean, Naruto-kun?" she asked, trying not to give any tone to her voice.

"I mean, his name's Hyuuga Neji and you called him 'Neji-niisan." I didn't know you had a brother."

"I don't," she said quickly. "He's my cousin, but... we're close like siblings." _Like some siblings, anyway,_ she mused, thinking of Hanabi.

"Oh yeah? Then why have things been so weird with you and him?"

"Weird?"

"Every time you two are in the same place, it's like one of you is about to attack the other."

"I don't think it's like that," she said quietly, hoping the denial wasn't incredibly obvious in her voice.

"Oh, okay," said Naruto plainly and he kept eating.

Another pause. Chewing. "The truth is," she said, "In recent years, Neji-niisan and I haven't had the best... relationship."

"Why's that?" asked Naruto.

"Well, the Hyuuga clan... it's divided."

"Divided?"

"The Hyuuga is the most powerful clan in Konoha, thanks to our Byakugan. The Byakugan is considered a treasure of Konoha and people always want to steal treasure. So, to protect it, the clan is split into two houses, the main house and the branch house. The branch house is supposed to serve the main house and they're given a special seal..."

"What kind of seal?"

"It's... a cursed seal," she said, painfully aware of the cursed seal that now rested on Sasuke's neck. She did her best not to make comparisons in her head. "It makes it so that when the bearer of the seal dies, the Byakugan is sealed to prevent it from getting into enemy hands." She was careful not to divulge too much.

"I don't get it. Aren't you all Hyuuga?"

"I like to think so," she said with a light smile. "But it's the old ways. Members of the branch house tend to become... resentful of the main house." Her smile faded. "That's why Neji-niisan and I _used_ to be friends. He's part of the branch house and I'm of the main house." _Technically, anyway. _A third pause. "Secretly, I wish there were no main or branch houses. I wish we could all just be one. I wish that I didn't have to carry this power and the responsibilities that come with it." She looked at the floor. "I know that's selfish."

"It's not," said Naruto to her surprise. He placed a hand on his abdomen. "You didn't ask to be shouldered with this burden. It just happened to you. If that Neji guy doesn't like you because of that, he's a jerk."

Taken aback for a moment, Hinata giggled. "I guess so. Thanks, Naruto-kun."

"No problem!" he said cheerfully. The two continued eating in peace.

* * *

><p>On the fourth day of the exam, the team finally felt ready to move out. Knowing their chance to obtain a complementary scroll was slimming by the minute, they decided to actively seek out other teams. They had met up with Kabuto, whom they had previously encountered before the written exam and who was gracious enough to stop them from opening their scroll. Even after Sasuke had challenged him to a fight, Kabuto had decided to help them, informing them of all the perils of the remainder of the exam. Hinata was grateful.<p>

Unbeknownst to them, however, they were being watched.

"They have a Hyuuga," said one of the Rain shinobi. "If she activates her Byakugan and sees through our genjutsu, this will go worse than last time."

"True," said another. "We'd best eliminate her first." Drawing a kunai, he launched it at the back of Hinata's head. Just before it connected, Kabuto pushed her out of the way, causing the kunai to instead stick in her shoulder.

"Hinata!" cried Naruto and Sasuke at the same time.

"Go!" yelled Kabuto, lifting Hinata. "I'll take care of her!"

The Rain team retreated. The one who threw the kunai chuckled. "We won't have to worry about her anymore. We can take our time with these whelps.

As he began to backup, however, he bumped into something. Turning to see what it was, he found Naruto and Sasuke standing there, equally livid expressions on them both. "You picked the _wrong _target, you bastards!" Naruto roared.

"Let me handle this, Naruto," said Sasuke, focusing his Sharingan. "You've been working a lot already. You've gotta be tired."

"And _you've_ gotta be kidding me!" Naruto retorted. "I'm not going to let you hog the glory, especially when these guys hurt Hinata!" He rushed forwards, punching the Rain ninja, crushing his defense.

While Naruto and Sasuke made short work of the Rain shinobi, Kabuto set to work on Hinata. _First, a bit of anesthetic..._ he thought and his hand glowed green. _Then, extract the weapon. _He removed the kunai, holding his glowing hand to the wound to prevent it from spilling. _Next, heal the flesh. _He channeled medical chakra into both hands and observed the wound close, finishing with a bandage to the room. After a few moments, Naruto and Sasuke returned. "Back so soon?" Kabuto asked.

"They weren't much," said Naruto. "Plus, they had this!" He revealed the Heaven scroll he'd retrieved from the Rain shinobi. His expression quickly turned to concern. "How is she?"

"She's fine," said Kabuto. "There was a minor paralytic drug on the blade, but the wound was shallow. I patched it up. She should wake up any minute."

Kabuto was right. Hinata stirred and sat up. "Kabuto-kun? Did you-"

"I didn't do anything," said Kabuto, smiling. "Don't worry about it."

"Thank you anyway," she said and stood with Naruto and Sasuke's help. "We got the scroll?" she asked, eying the object in Naruto's hands.

"Yup! I whooped their asses!" Naruto declared proudly.

"You say that like you did it without any help," said Sasuke, grinning smugly.

"Then let's get going, shall we?" said Hinata with a smile.

They continued with no other interruptions, eventually parting with Kabuto when he reunited with his team. After entering the building, they read the message on the wall and decided they would have to open the scroll.

As they did so, the scrolls released puffs of smoke and out of them materialized Iruka. "Hey!" he said cheerfully. "Long time no see."

"What...?" Hinata muttered, confused.

"Looks like you came across a bit of trouble," Iruka replied.

"Huh-what?" Naruto was dumbfounded. "Why were you summoned, Iruka-sensei?"

"At the end of the second test, we set it up so that one of us chuunin would meet up with the participants and I was the one allowed to meet you." He checked his pocket watch. "Looks like you made it with only a few hours to spare." He smiled. "Congratulations. You three have passed the second test. To celebrate, I'd like to buy you all a round of ramen, but... huh?"

Suddenly, Naruto tackled Iruka to the floor. "We did it!" he cried.

"Listen to the end, Naruto!" Iruka chastised gently.

Despite her weariness, Hinata felt happy at the sight of Naruto hugging his beloved teacher. She listened as Iruka explained the chuunin's motto and its significance for their hypothetical promotion. After a warning from Iruka and subsequent rebuke from Naruto, he allowed them into the chamber of the preliminaries for the final round.

* * *

><p>The preliminaries were proceeding swiftly. Kabuto had regretfully dropped out to the dismay of Team 7 and despite Naruto and Hinata's protests, Sasuke had insisted on participating. He managed to prove their worries needless by defeating Yoroi handily with a variant on Lee's moves. Zaku had had his arms detonated by Shino, at which Hinata couldn't help but feel a bit of schadenfreude.<p>

Now Sakura and Ino's fight had begun. "Go, Sakura-chan!" Naruto cheered, only to be met with a look of disgust from Sakura. His face fell.

Ino laughed. "Looks like your only fan is that stupid Naruto."

"Shut up!" replied Sakura, assuming a battle stance, her long hair flowing behind her. "After this, Sasuke-kun will be mine."

"We'll see about that!" said Ino.

The two began their fight, but Hinata could hardly pay attention. She was worried about Sasuke, about Naruto, and her upcoming battle. There were so many scary enemies: the three from the Sand, that Dosu guy from the Sound, and of course...

_Neji-niisan..._

A hard smack caught Hinata's attention. She looked to see Ino standing over Sakura, who fell limp on the ground. "Just to make it certain..." said Ino, forming a seal with her hands. _"Shintenshin no jutsu (Mind-body switch technique)!"_

Suddenly, Ino fell to the ground. Sakura managed to stand and raised her hand, declaring, "I, Haruno Sakura, hereby forfeit this match to Yamanaka Ino."

A few seconds passed. "Very well..." said Hayate. "The winner is Yamanaka Ino!"

Sakura smiled, then promptly collapsed again. Ino stood up and threw a fist in the air, celebrating her victory.

Sakura stirred, waking once more. "I lost...?" she muttered, eyes sorrowful.

"Combatants, please vacate the area for the next match," Hayate told them. The two followed his directions, returning to their respective teams.

"What the hell was that?" barked Kiba as Sakura arrived. "Ino played you like a drum!"

"Shut up!" Sakura roared back, breath shaky. Tears started to fall down her cheeks. "Just... shut up." Kiba frowned but didn't push the issue.

"Don't worry, Sakura," said Kurenai, patting Sakura on the back. "Ino was a strong opponent. You did well." Sakura nodded, attempting futilely to wipe away her tears.

"Good one, Ino," said Shikamaru, grinning. "Pretty solid strategy."

"Of course! You're not the only brainy one on this team!" Ino replied, basking in her victory.

"You're really great, Ino!" Chouji chimed in.

"Thanks Chouji! Tell you what, in honor of my triumph, I'll treat us some Yakiniku-Q!" She froze immediately after saying so, realizing what she had just agreed to. Horror encroached upon her face as she observed Chouji's salivating grin.

"I'll... pay for half," said Asuma, smiling awkwardly, to Ino's relief. "Still, good job, Ino."

"Winner, Temari!" Hayate announced as Tenten's unconscious body rested upon Temari's fan.

"That was quick," said Asuma, glancing at the board. "Looks like you're up, Shikamaru."

"Aw, man," Shikamaru said. "Fine. Not like I'll forfeit to a girl, anyway." He hopped down to the arena.

"Go for it, Shikamaru!" Ino cheered.

Hinata's worry grew as she watched Shikamaru's easy victory: Kin's arm hadn't healed enough for her to put up a decent fight. More and more combatants were being eliminated and she didn't like the remaining selection. _At least that awful Kin girl is being eliminated..._

"Good going, Shikamaru!" said Chouji. "You were really cool!" Shikamaru shrugged.

"Well, you _were_ fighting a handicapped opponent, but I'll give it to you," said Ino, still confident. "Team 10 is two for two!"

"All that's left is you, Chouji," said Asuma. Chouji gulped nervously.

"Yes!" yelled Naruto, pumping his fist as his name came up against Kiba's. "It's here! It's _here, _finally! It's about time!"

Kiba, meanwhile, laughed. "Lucky us! We can definitely beat him, Akamaru!" Akamaru barked in response. "I'll show you how it's done, Sakura!"

"You get to fight the biggest loser here!" said Sakura, indignant. "You know that it was only thanks to Sasuke-kun's skill that he even made it through the forest."

"Whatever," said Kiba, waving her off.

"Good luck, Naruto-kun," said Hinata nervously.

"Thanks, but I don't need it!" Naruto replied, grinning wildly before hopping down to meet Kiba.

After a bit of trash talk from both of them, the match began. Hinata watched as Kiba slammed Naruto into the wall and declared that Naruto would not be standing, but to her own surprise, she found herself free of worry. She glanced at Kakashi, who met her gaze. Both of them smiled wide.

_This is it, _she thought. _This is when he can show them..._ _Tell them, Naruto-kun!_

"Don't underestimate me!" said Naruto, apparently unfazed by Kiba's assault.

"Do it, Naruto-kun!" Hinata yelled, prompting a look of minor surprise from Kakashi. Her heart was racing. She reveled in the shocked expressions and comments of amazement from the audience as Naruto deceived Kiba. "You're amazing, Naruto-kun!" she cheered, finding it easier and easier every time to speak up.

Kakashi, meanwhile, observed the looks of incredulity from his fellow sensei as well as the pleased grin from the Third Hokage. _Of course,_ he thought. _Now they get to see that I was right. _

Suddenly, Kiba, utilizing his beast-man transformation, knocked Naruto to the floor. "That's the difference in our abilities!" he taunted.

"I can't... lose... here..." Naruto groaned, struggling to pick himself back up. "I'm gonna... be... Hokage..."

"You, become Hokage? Don't make me laugh!" said Kiba, full of confidence. "You're weaker than I am! Don't think _you_ could actually become Hokage. Tell you what, if you want a Hokage so badly, I'll take the title!"

_You're wrong,_ Hinata thought. _Naruto-kun isn't weak. He's always believed he's worth something. He's inspired me to believe in myself, to push myself beyond my limits. Even when no one would look at him, acknowledge him, he kept going. No, Naruto-kun isn't weak at all. _Naruto began to rise. _He's the strongest person I know. Now, everyone is watching you, Naruto-kun. Everyone is acknowledging you. _

"If you're gonna compete with me for the title of Hokage," said Naruto, grinning, "I'm gonna whip you like a dog."

Hinata's heart swelled. _Show them, Naruto-kun. Make them see you how I see you... how I've _always_ seen you! _

Kiba's assault began anew. Hinata succumbed to worry, but kept telling herself to believe in Naruto, chanting it in her mind like a mantra. When the dust settled after Kiba and Akamaru's attack, what appeared to be _three_ Kibas stood in a triangle, facing each other. Hinata gained a look of confusion.

"Watch carefully, Hinata," said Kakashi.

Hinata activated her Byakugan and suddenly understood. She grinned. _Yes! Good thinking, Naruto-kun! _She almost felt like laughing as she watched Naruto's ruse play out and heard everyone's astonishment.

"Think before using a jutsu or it'll get used against you! Also, don't fall for such obvious traps, idiot!"

Hinata couldn't suppress a giggle as she remembered Kakashi's quote. Kakashi, on the other hand, seemed less than amused. _Wait,_ she thought. _This is my chance!_ She turned to her sensei. "Kakashi-sensei, what is the Nine-Tails?"

Kakashi's eye widened. "Where did you hear that?" he said with a hushed tone.

"We were attacked in the forest by this awful man named Orochimaru," Hinata explained quietly. "He called Naruto-kun 'the Nine-Tails brat.' What is it? Does it have to do with the red chakra from when we fought Haku and Zabuza? He used it again when we fought Orochimaru."

Kakashi was taken aback. _So, she noticed it then too. This is troubling... _"It's nothing you need to worry about," he said, trying to placate her.

"It is if it's harming one of my teammates!" Hinata protested, showing more will than Kakashi had seen. "Please, Kakashi-sensei. It's been driving me crazy with worry. Please... I'm begging you..."

It seemed to Kakashi that she was about to cry. He glanced at the Third Hokage, not wanting to violate his edict. "Alright," he said, and Hinata's expression softened. "I can tell you this much. Would it bother you if Naruto had something dark within him?"

"What?" Hinata didn't understand.

"If Naruto held within him a terrible, destructive force that he was forced to carry but that he could also utilize, would you think differently of him?"

"Would using it hurt him?" she asked.

"No," said Kakashi, pleased that that had been her question.

"In that case, no," she said decisively. "Naruto-kun is Naruto-kun, no matter what."

Kakashi smiled. "Good. You don't need to worry. Just care for Naruto as you always have and things will be okay."

For the first time in months it seemed a weight was lifted off Hinata's shoulders as she nodded. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

"U-zu-ma-ki!" Naruto roared, pummeling Kiba with several _kagebunshin,_ "_Naruto Rendan (Uzumak Naruto Barrage)!"_ Kakashi sighed at the obviously derivative technique, but couldn't argue with the results.

"Winner! Uzumaki Naruto!" declared Hayate.

"Yes!" Hinata cheered, jumping into the air, pleased that the other Konoha genin were admiring Naruto's victory.

"Piece of cake!" said Naruto, bounding up the stairs to the spectator area, grinning wildly. "Did you see me, Hinata? How awesome was I?"

"You were wonderful, Naruto-kun," she said sweetly, already preparing her medicine – her last container.

"I was, wasn't I?" he said, posing with his hand upon his chin. "I did get that _henge-kagebunshin_ idea from you, though." Hinata blushed lightly.

"Well done, Naruto," said Kakashi.

"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei! Hey, Hinata, I guess if you win, we'll all be in the finals together, huh?" said Naruto, excited at the prospect.

Hinata nodded. "It would be in...ter...es...ting..." She froze, mouth still open, eyes wide.

"Huh?" Naruto recognized the look: terror. "Hinata, what's wrong?" No response. He looked towards where she seemed to be looking and saw the next match announced on the board.

Hyuuga Hinata vs. Hyuuga Neji.

* * *

><p>Dun dun dunnnn! Big fight comin' up. I guess I lied about there only being two parts to the chuunin exam. There'll be more! Sorry. I figured it would be better to split these sections up, considering they contain important battles for Hinata.<p>

So, if you were wondering about Sakura vs. Ino, here goes: in the normal story, Sakura puts up a decent enough fight because she "awakened" during her fight with the Sound team. Furthermore, she is able to break out of Ino's _Shintenshin_ only because of Naruto's influence. Without the previous battle and without the experience of being on Naruto's team, Ino simply outclasses Sakura.

Here's something I've noticed: Sakura always cries. Seriously, at least once every arc, sometimes twice, something pushes a button and the waterworks just flow. Naruto cries every other arc. Sasuke cries a couple times. Hinata? Never cries. Not even when the worst shit has happened to her. She only sheds tears in relief after Naruto's revealed to be alive in the aftermath of the Pain fight.

The timeline continues to diverge:

-Due to Hinata's Byakugan, Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata all gained more strength than normal from the tree-climbing exercise.

-Thanks to Hinata's interference, Orochimaru does not place the Five Elements seal on Naruto, so Naruto is not incapacitated for as long.

-During the battle with the Sound trio, Hinata, pushed to her limit, finds new strength to protect Naruto and Sasuke. The Nine-Tails chakra encroaches on Naruto once more before the end of the exam.

-Ino makes it to the chuunin exam, defeating Sakura.

Thanks for reading and as always, please review!


	7. Fight

So, I gathered something from the reviews from my wonderful readers, this time around: people seem to think that Naruto should've had an easier time of Kiba due to the lack of an extra seal. Well, I agree: I distinctly _omitted_ Naruto's victory due to a fart because I think he wouldn't need it this time around. I apologize. I should have made it this was clear that this was the case.

It does seem like you guys want things to change, so change is a-comin', even though it might take a bit. But you guys want changes, so I, your loyal servant, shall give you some mo'fuckin' changes... though the first part of this chapter may take the wind out of that promise's sails for a moment. Anyway, enough babbling, let's get this show on the road!

Introduction:

Some obstacles, however, are simply too big to conquer.

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: Fight<p>

_To think it would come to this,_ thought Kakashi, glancing first at the match-up on the board and then at his students. Hinata kept staring at her and Neji's names, eyes struck wide with fear. _Hinata... what will you do?_

"Hey," said Naruto, "You can do this, okay? Don't be afraid."

"But..." Hinata faced the floor, twiddling her fingers.

"_You can do this,"_ he repeated, grabbing her shoulders.

"Hinata-san, please come down to the battle area so we may begin the match," called Hayate.

Hinata breathed deep, closing her eyes. When she opened them, they were refocused and ready. "Okay," she said. "Here I go."

Naruto relinquished her and Hinata stepped down the stairs towards Neji and Hayate. Neji's gaze followed Hinata all the way down and despite how much it made her heart pound, she locked eyes with him until she arrived in the center of the room. "I never thought I'd be facing you," he said, his tone inching away from care and crawling more towards something Hinata could not quite pick up. Was it perhaps delight? "I'm going to say this one more time, Hinata-sama." His stance widened. "Forfeit now. You're not cut out to be a shinobi."

Terror flooded her veins, forcing her conscious mind to retreat. But when it did, something else – something that in her head sounded suspiciously like Naruto – came forward and spoke through her. "Save the speech, Neji-niisan," she said with a grin. She took her fighting pose, activating her Byakugan, her expression turning hard. "Let's fight."

For a moment, Neji looked surprised. "It seems you are trying to change yourself," he said calmly, taking the same fighting stance. "I'm afraid it is time to teach the spoiled brat of the main house the difference between what you want and what actually _is."_

His Byakugan pierced through her but even so, she found herself standing steady. Instead, with her own Byakugan, she noticed what seemed like frustration passing through his mind. "You won't intimidate me," she said, trying to give her words more weight than she felt. "You can't decide things like this for yourself. I'm different than I was before." She glanced at Naruto, who was giving her an encouraging smile, before staring hard at Neji. "I won't run away _anymore!_"

Neji scowled. "So be it." He tilted his head at Hayate. "Proctor. Call the match."

Hayate nodded, raising his hand. "Begin!" he declared, dropping it.

Neji and Hinata rushed towards each other, swiping at each other three times before meeting palms and promptly freezing. Naruto watched, confused. "They're... not moving. What's going on?" he asked Kakashi.

"They're feeling out each others' strengths, examining each others' chakra, " explained Kakashi, lifting his forehead protector. "With such equal fighting styles, only a few blows are enough to give a smart enough shinobi, especially one of the Hyuuga, a good understanding of his or her enemy's abilities." _But it's strange,_ he mused, looking at Naruto, who was apparently trying to stare Neji to death. _A week ago, I'd bet Neji wouldn't have wasted the time to engage in this sort of clash. _He analyzed the look on Hinata's face, the energy surging through her muscles, the solidity of her eyes. _She's come a long way since fainting from a simple genjutsu... _

Kurenai, meanwhile, watched Kakashi's analysis of the battle. It was true that she had more or less gotten over their brief but heated disagreement in the Jounin lounge months ago. Indeed, she had grown to care for her team quite a bit in the interim. Still, a small part of her couldn't help but think, _This is where we find out who was right._

Finally, Hinata and Neji split, jumping back to their starting points. "It would seem that something about you _is_ indeed different," said Neji. "But do _not_ take that to mean that you have _changed._" He lunged at her once more with a volley of blows. Hinata reacted by leaping backwards, deflecting each one carefully.

_Something's wrong,_ she thought. As she repelled his blows, she couldn't help but contemplate a few simple facts. Since the start of the chuunin exam, Hinata's Byakugan had undeniably developed a considerable amount. Even with her self-deprecating nature, it was obvious that the battles with Orohimaru and the Sound trio had pushed her hard enough that her Byakugan had strengthened itself to survive. She could now see farther than ever before and more clearly to boot. Indeed, so refined was her vision that she could now see _tenketsu. _Above all else, the ability to halt the enemy's chakra flow was the greatest edge granted by the Gentle Fist.

But even with her enhanced sight, Hinata couldn't dream that she had progressed further than Neji. That meant that he, too, had the ability to see _tenketsu_ and thereby manipulate chakra flow. The determining factor would therefore be who could close more chakra points. Neji, however, most likely had no idea that Hinata had gained the skill necessary to see _tenkesu,_ given the recent nature of her growth.

This gave Hinata an advantage.

She began pushing back, attacking Neji's vitals furiously. Neji appeared unable to parry properly, always taking a bit more of the hit than was healthy, but Hinata saw through it. Every time he swatted away her blows, he was secretly plugging her _tenketsu. _Hinata, meanwhile, was not in fact going for his vitals. She knew that he would parry her, so she would then redirect her palm to close some of his chakra points in return. It was a fight of balance: while Neji could force more chakra out of his chakra channels, Hinata's chakra was subtler, more refined; enough that Neji might not notice her plan.

Hinata went for a powerful strike. The audience looked impressed at her apparently decisive blow, but Neji had blocked, retaliating with his own strike. Hinata doubled over, hand on mouth as she coughed. Neji smirked, standing over her. As she stood, he grabbed hold of her left arm and pulled up her sleeve: red spots dotted her wrist. "So this is the extent of the main house's strength," he said, stony faced.

Suddenly, Hinata weaved her arm around Neji's, grabbing at the top of his sleeve and tearing away a piece of the fabric, revealing red dots all along _his_ shoulder as well. "This is just the beginning," she said and Neji jumped backwards, surprised. Wrists aside, Hinata appeared uninjured and bore a confident grin.

Neji examined his wounded shoulder, scowling. "Since when can you see the _tenketsu?"_ He asked, trying to maintain an aura of cool superiority.

"Since very recently, actually" she said, deciding to be honest.

"Hiding that ability... Where did you of all people learn such trickery?" he asked, glaring.

She smiled. "Why, from the number one unpredictable ninja, of course," she said, glancing at Naruto. The two combatants stood still, evaluating how much damage each had incurred. Neji's strikes outnumbered Hinata's. Her arm was losing feeling, but she could still power chakra through it with a bit of effort. Hinata's hits, however, were more critical, as the shoulder was earlier on in the chakra coils than the wrist.

"Woah..." muttered Naruto from above. He remembered how she had calmed Sasuke down when he'd been consumed by the curse mark. _So that's what that was._ "Hinata's amazing!" he squealed, grinning.

"Indeed," said Kakashi. "To be able to see the _tenketsu..._ I'm impressed." _But, _he added mentally, _it's just a small step. To defeat Neji..._

"I'll have to step this up," said Neji, resuming his offense. He was faster than before, apparently having held back, and Hinata struggled to keep up. He no longer hid his strikes at her _tenketsu_. Hinata's rate of retaliation began to decrease.

_Not good,_ thought Kakashi.

Finally, she pushed her entire weight into one blow, practically jumping at Neji. He evaded it, grabbing her right arm and pulling her close. "A desperate strike? Undignified for the main house. It's over," he said, preparing to disrupt the chakra flow at her arm. Before he could make contact, however, he felt Hinata's fist dig into his face, sending him staggering. _A blow from her closed fist?_ thought Neji, unable to react due to incredulity as Hinata followed up with a knee to the abdomen, forcing Neji to relinquish her arm and topple to the floor, grunting in pain.

"Go, Hinata!" Naruto. "You're amazing!"

_Impressive,_ Kakashi thought with a smile. _The Hyuuga rely on pushing chakra into the enemy's coils, meaning they would be rendered useless if their chakra flow was halted. Hinata knew this and sacrificed her left arm to make Neji focus on her. Using her good arm as bait distracted him enough to let Hinata get in a couple of brute-force blows, something a Hyuuga would normally never resort to._ He looked at Naruto. _You've been a good influence on her._

Hinata panted, clutching her wounded arm. _That looked better than it was,_ she decided. She had very little taijutsu training outside of the Gentle Fist. It was lucky that Neji had left himself open enough to allow her unrefined strikes to deal heavy damage.

"I have... underestimated you," Neji uttered, rising to his feet. "But it does not make an iota of difference. You cannot change fate!" Yet again he charged.

Hinata couldn't dodge in time. _I'll have to chance it!_ "_Hakkeshou kaiten (Eight Trigrams Heavenly Rotation)!"_ she roared, spinning like a top and deflecting Neji's blows.

True shock permeated Neji's expression. "The _kaiten..._" he muttered, recovering. "That you would know this maneuver... that you can pull it off with one arm unable to make chakra... what has happened to you to let you achieve that? There is no way you could master it."

"And yet I have," she breathed. "A lot has happened to me in these past few months, Neji-niisan. " The mission to the Land of Waves flashed through her mind. She remembered how good it felt to have reached the top of the tree, standing there with Naruto and Sasuke. "You don't know me as well as you did. I'll say it again: I'm different than I was before." She flexed her bad arm, trying to gain feeling back into it. "I've grown a lot. I'm moving forward, while you stay in the past." Neji's silence chilled the room. "You speak of fate, Neji-niisan, telling me I have an unshakeable destiny, but I know the truth: you're afraid to be roped to fate... just like your father."

"Enough!" barked Neji, furious. "I'll show you what fate _really_ is!" He resumed a fighting stance. "No doubt you've realized that if a failure like you can learn it, then I must have the_ kaiten _as well. Shall we test whose is greater?"

Hinata's breathing stabilized. She nodded. "Let's do it," she said, knowing full well that this was a poor idea. Nevertheless, the two sprang towards each other, shouting in unison, "_Kaiten!"_

The sound that followed was akin to an enormous hammer slamming upon an anvil. The two masses of spinning chakra collided, sending a gust of air throughout the room and immediately sending both users spiraling to the floor, bouncing a few times before coming to a stop.

The silence that followed the massive noise was deafening. The onlookers watched as the dust began to settle; frozen, as though moving would prevent the fight from progressing.

When the dust cleared, both Hinata and Neji were on the ground: Neji on his side, Hinata on her back. "Get up, Hinata!" called Naruto. "Come on! Stand up and whoop his ass!"

_Naruto-kun..._ she thought. She attempted to stand and was met with a wave of pain. She began diagnosing the damage. _Wrist... fractured. Ankle... sprained. Ribs... cracked. Maybe minor concussion._..

Hayate looked back and forth at the two Hyuuga. "If neither combatant can rise," he said, holding his hand high, "then I must declare this match a dr-"

"Not... yet," said Neji, on one knee. Slowly, he rose. "Don't call it yet." Hayate nodded. Neji began walking slowly towards Hinata.

"Hinata, get up!" Naruto reiterated. "He's coming to get you! Don't give up yet!"

Hinata sat up, dizzy from the pain, and began to push herself into a standing position. She stumbled a bit as she inadvertently put weight on her broken wrist but eventually managed to stabilize herself. Neji loomed over her. Through the fog of anguish, he looked a thousand times more menacing before, though he too was covered in bruises. "No matter what, you cannot change fate," he hissed. "Give up, Hinata-sama. This is your last chance."

"You can do it, Hinata!" Naruto called.

Hinata stepped back, trying to put some distance between them. "No... way," she whispered.

"What was that?" asked Neji.

_Naruto-kun is watching me, _she thought. _All this time, I've been watching him, chasing him. Not now. Now, he's watching me, and I'm going to catch up to him! _"I don't go back on my words..." she declared loudly as blood dripped from her mouth. "That's... my shinobi way!" Naruto blinked, taken aback by her use of his motto.

Neji examined her eyes. _Their strength has returned. _"Very well," said Neji. "I am no longer responsible for what happens." He struck her hard, right in the face. Hinata stumbled back, barely managing to stay upright.

She retaliated by swiveling around on her good foot, using her weak leg like a flail to swing at Neji, who dodged. _Naruto-kun... when you look at me, I feel strong. I feel courageous. I feel that if I do my best, I can succeed. I feel... like I am worth something! _

Neji hit her again, this time in her ribs. The pain of the blow on top of her cracked bones made her black out for a moment, but she did not visibly react, instead choosing to headbutt Neji as he came closer. Neji winced, grabbing his now bleeding mouth while Hinata briefly slumped to her knees, unmoving. He was breathing more heavily. The _kaiten_ clash had taken more out of him than he thought. _I have to end this quickly, _he thought.

Hayate stared wide-eyed at Hinata's desperate struggle. She was in no condition to continue. "Since the combatant is unable to fight, I declare this match's victor to be-"

"Don't stop it!" yelled Naruto. He pointed towards Hinata, who rose from the ground once more, to the astonishment of everyone, most of all Neji.

Neji hesitated, wiping the blood from his chin. "If you keep doing this, you _will_ die," he said plainly. "Why do you fight?"

She smiled. "In front of the person I admire... I can't afford to look bad," she answered. She held up her good arm. "Now, let's finish this."

"You must be joking," said Neji, eyebrow raised. "You can barely stand, much less fight." He entered into a different stance from his normal one. "Just give it up. There's no need to suffer anymore." _I don't have the energy for my trump card..._ he realized.

"Suffer?" she said. "I'm not suffering, Neji-niisan. No, I can see it. crystal clear: the one who suffers is you... because of what happened with your father."Rage overtook Neji's face. "But you don't have to keep suffering... I'm here to help."

"Help?" Neji barked, rushing towards Hinata, favoring one leg lightly. "You think you can _help me?"_ He raised both arms, ready to strike.

Hinata closed her eyes and let instinct take over. She felt something open inside her and a surge of energy rushed through her body. _"Kaiten!" _she called, spinning around. Neji was hammered with the force of the blow and was sent flying, but managed to connect the blow to Hinata's head.

Once more, Neji stood, this time clearly injured. He clutched his abdomen with one hand and his arm hung loose. He limped towards Hinata, panting hard. She did not seem to notice his presence. As he neared, he raised his arm to strike... but she fell before he could swing. Neji lowered his arm.

A silent moment passed, crystalline as Hinata hit the floor. "The winner, Hyuuga Neji!" declared Hayate.

In an instant, Kakashi and Naruto were on the ground, standing over Hinata. Her eyes were still open and wore an almost serene smile. _Naruto-kun... _Her thoughts swam about, unfocused. _Was I... good enough...?_

"Is she gonna be okay?" Naruto asked Kakashi. "She really doesn't look good."

Kakashi examined her, Sharingan exposed. The wounds were many, but none lethal. "She'll recover," he told Naruto, though he was unsure of that prognosis. _Chakra exhaustion,_ he concluded. _To think she would have enough energy to produce that last kaiten with so many tenketsu closed... _He focused his Sharingan and her chakra flow caught his attention. Examining closer, he realized there was no mistaking it: Hinata had opened the first celestial gate. _She probably didn't even realize what she was doing,_ thought Kakashi. He glanced at Neji, who was limping away, and scrutinized the number and severity of his wounds. _To injure Neji to that extent... Not even Sasuke would have had a chance against him at this point. You went further than either Naruto or Sasuke could have gone._ "You've done well, Hinata," he said, picking her up as the medics arrived. He handed her over and they began to treat her.

Naruto rushed over to Neji, who was still panting through his injuries. "What you've done to Hinata... is unforgivable," he growled.

"She got what she deserved," Neji responded coolly. "A loser gets a loser's destiny. It'll be the same with you," he added with a smirk.

Naruto felt rage bubbling up inside of him, but Kakashi and Lee stopped him, respectively flanking him back-and-front.

"Naruto-kun, I understand your feelings so much it hurts," said Lee. "But Hinata-san was fighting for the same things I want – she wanted to show that hard work could defeat a genius. If I'm Neji's opponent, I'll finish what she began. But even if I fight you," he smiled at Naruto, "I'll have no regrets."

"Fine," said Naruto. He watched as the medics carried Hinata away. He turned to Neji. "You'll pay for this," he said, dabbing his fingers in Hinata's blood. "I promise: I'll take you _down!_"

"Bah," said Neji, following the medics, clutching his injuries. _That Hinata-sama could hurt me this much... what influence has that boy had on her?_

"At least she hurt him good," Naruto said to Kakashi, watching as the medics assisted Neji.

"She did splendidly," said Kakashi. "There's no need to look down on her."

"Of course not!" said Naruto, clenching his fist.. "Hinata was amazing! This just means I'll have to get even stronger to beat him!"

Kakashi patted Naruto on the head. "Indeed," he said. "You'll do fine." As he made his way back to the balcony, Kurenai approached him. "Something you need, Kurenai-san?" he asked, not looking at her.

She stood silent for a few seconds, also avoiding looking at him. "You were right," she said eventually. "I don't know what you did with Hinata, but the fact that she went that far against Neji... you were right."

A moment passed, then another. "Thank you, Kurenai-san," Kakashi said.

The next match-up appeared on the board.

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, Hinata wandered aimlessly around Konoha, a glum expression on her face. She had been discharged from the hospital the previous week. Due to Neji's strategy of closing her <em>tenketsu,<em> Hinata's wounds hadn't been so severe in the long term. The majority of the damage had come from their _kaiten_ clash, but the medics were able to fix her up in only a few days and soon she was back to training daily. _Medical ninjutsu certainly is amazing..._ she mused. _Maybe I should go into it, though it's against clan policy... _It was a nice topic to dwell upon. It was a distraction from the real issues at hand, she understood completely, but a nice distraction nonetheless.

"Hinata?" came a voice behind her, snapping her out of her thought spiral.

Hinata turned to see Sakura sitting at a nearby bench. "Sakura-san?"

"Hey!" Sakura waved, beckoning Hinata over. Hinata considered the invitation odd: she and Sakura had never spent much time together – in their academy days, Hinata tended to keep to herself while Sakura preferred to be with the more popular kunoichi. Nevertheless, she strolled over and took a seat on the bench next to Sakura. "So, how are you feeling? Have your wounds healed up well?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, I'm much better," said Hinata, attempting to smile. "Thank you."

"Well, it just seemed like you took a pretty hard beating," Sakura added.

"It wasn't that bad," Hinata muttered quietly.

"Either way, I'm glad you're okay." A moment passed. "So-"

"Do yo-" The two spoke simultaneously.

"Oh, I-"

"That is-"

"Well-"

"You go first," Hinata said, trying to smooth over the awkwardness.

"Okay," said Sakura. "Have you heard about Sasuke-kun?"

_Ah,_ thought Hinata. _So this is why she called me over. _"Sasuke-kun was taken from the hospital before he was fully healed... I think Kakashi-sensei has begun training him. I haven't seen him since the second half of the exam."

"Oh," Sakura responded, her voice tinged with disappointment. "Sasuke-kun is amazing, isn't he? Training after such a difficult trial!"

"He sure is something," Hinata replied noncommittally. "But Naruto-kun is off training too," she added quickly with a bit more energy.

Sakura laughed derisively. "For all the good it'll do him," she sneered. "He's not going to last a minute in those rounds. Lord knows how he managed to make it through the preliminaries."

"He beat Kiba," said Hinata, looking at the ground. Her voice was a bit colder than she would've liked, but also a bit more honest. An iota of embarrassment appeared on Sakura's face. Perhaps she had managed to read Hinata's tone.

"Wh-what I mean is, he has to fight that Neji, doesn't he?" Sakura said hurriedly. "He's too strong for Naruto to face... I mean, you did your best against him and he still won! Naruto's too weak to have a shot."

"He's not," said Hinata, a smoldering feeling of rage burning growing in her heart. It was unusual for her, she realized, but she indulged it nonetheless. "Naruto-kun is strong. He's stronger than all of us." Her fists clenched on her lap. "He'll defeat Neji-niisan and anyone else who faces him."

Sakura gulped. This girl next to her was different from the Hinata she'd known from the academy. "If you say so," she muttered. Suddenly, the two girls heard a sound like an enormous spring bouncing off the ground. They turned towards the direction of the sound to see a gigantic frog leaping through the air, carrying a pipe in its mouth. "Wh-what is that?" Sakura asked, panicked.

Hinata activated Byakugan. This was no genjutsu – indeed, there was a tremendous amphibian bounding leisurely through Konoha. Something on the frog's back caught her eye. "Is that...?" She focused further. There was no mistaking it. "That's Naruto-kun!" she cried.

"Naruto? What is he doing?" asked Sakura in disbelief.

"I-I don't know!" Hinata replied, standing from the bench. "I'm sorry to leave like this, Sakura-san! I'll see you later!" She raced off, following the giant frog until it stopped. _That's near the hospital! _A few seconds later, the frog's chakra simply vanished. She hurried, bounding over buildings to reach the hospital, but when she arrived, she found Naruto lying next to a footprint that seemed to match the enormous creature that had been there moments ago. "Naruto-kun!" she called, kneeling by him. He was unconscious.

Several medics had rushed out of the hospital at the sound of the commotion. "Miss, please step aside so that we may treat this patient," said one of the doctors. Hinata moved out of the way. Quickly but gently, they laid Naruto out on a stretcher.

"Will he be okay?" she asked the remaining physician.

The medic saw the concern plain on her face. "Don't worry. He just looks a bit exhausted. We'll get him some rest and you can come by to visit later."

"Oh... alright..." she uttered as the medics returned to the building_. Yet another thing to worry about..._

* * *

><p>"Hnh... Ramen..." muttered Naruto, eyes slowly opening.<p>

Three days had pased. The first two days, Hinata had visited with a flower, then two, waiting patiently until visitor hours were over. The third day, struck with a brilliant idea, she brought a fresh bowl of ramen to his room. When he stirred, a small part of her couldn't help but think it was the scent of the noodles that brought him back to reality.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun," she said, smiling.

"Huh? Hinata?" He sprang upright, looking around. "Where am I? What happened?" He looked to the bowl in her hands and began salivating. "Is that ramen? Can I have some?" Hinata chuckled, pulling the plastic lid off the bowl and handing some chopsticks to Naruto, which he eagerly separated to begin devouring the food. "Thank you!" he cried, ecstatic.

"I'm glad you enjoy it," said Hinata as Naruto tore through the meal like a fire through a forest. "You're in the hospital, by the way," she explained calmly. "They found you unconscious outside. You've been here for three days."

Naruto paused. "Three days? Outside?" he said through a mouthful of noodles, splattering broth everywhere. "Oh, right." Unfazed, he resumed eating like the noodles had betrayed him.

"Um, Naruto-kun," she said after a minute of observing his slaughter. "This may sound weird, but... were you riding a giant frog?"

Another pause, accompanied by a large gulp. He tapped his chopsticks on the bowl in recognition. "Yeah! That's my awesome new jutsu!" he said excitedly. "I've gotta show it to you – but after I'm done eating, okay?"

She smiled, feeling relief for the first time in two and a half weeks. "Sure thing," she said.

When Naruto had finished consuming the ramen, the two left the hospital. "We'd better go somewhere open. I don't want anybody to get hurt," he said.

_Amazing,_ thought Hinata. _What a jutsu it must be.._.

Along the way, they caught up about their respective past two weeks. Hinata was surprised to hear that Naruto had met Jiraiya and Naruto was shocked to hear that Hinata even knew who he was. Still, neither of them dared to touch the topic that at once divided them and connected them: Naruto's upcoming match with Neji. Maybe Naruto was just oblivious to it, but Hinata distinctly avoided mentioning it.

"Here's good," he said as they arrived in an open field. "Now, watch how awesome I've become!" Biting into his finger, he formed the boar, dog, bird, monkey and ram seals, planted his hand into the ground and roared, "_Kuchiyose no jutsu (summoning technique)!"_

Hinata's pulse quickened as she heard a loud pop and smoke arose all around them. When it cleared, however, what was lying there was a tiny frog. Hinata blinked. _Does it grow bigger? _she wondered.

"Who the hell are you?" yelled Naruto, outraged.

"I'm Gamakichi. Nice to meetcha!" said the frog.

"What? Where's that big guy from before, Gamabunta?" Naruto asked, despair on his face.

"You mean dad?" said Gamakichi. He shrugged. "I dunno. You gave me chakra, here I am. Dad wasn't gonna come out for that little chakra."

Naruto growled in frustration. "Fine! Then, I guess you can go home!"

"Cool," said Gamakichi and he disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Naruto and Hinata alone.

"I'm..." Hinata attempted weakly to break the silence, "I'm s-sure it works m-most of the time, Naruto-kun."

"It does!" he yelled, then lost steam and slumped forward, staring at the ground. "I only managed to get it really right that one time," he added dejectedly. _What was all that training for?_

Hinata frowned, sorrowful at Naruto's disappointment. After a moment, an idea came to her. "Naruto-kun," she said, activating her Byakugan. "Maybe I can help."

"Eh?" he saw her eyes and remembered the tree-climbing exercise. The smile returned to his lips. "Hey, yeah, maybe you can!" he said excitedly.

"There's eleven days until the finals," Hinata said, matching his expression. "Let's work together to make sure you can summon any frog you want at any time." Her heart pounded rapidly at her new-found confidence.

Naruto laughed at her uncharacteristic display of initiative. When had they become so close? Either way, he liked it. "Sure thing!" he said, and began focusing his chakra.

* * *

><p>Naruto ended up summoning Gamakichi twenty three more times as the training progressed. Gamakichi didn't seem to mind much. Apparently this was good practice for summoned creatures. On the first day of training, Naruto had only managed to improve a little bit, summoning Gamakichi <em>and<em> his brother Gamatatsu simultaneously once, with Gamatatsu demanding snacks and celebrating his first time being summoned.

Throughout this training, Hinata practiced the water-walking exercise, having heard about it from Naruto, in a nearby stream. She mastered it easily enough, which only frustrated Naruto even more. It was true that he, too, had been able to walk on water with little effort, but his current training wasn't going very well.

By the third day, Naruto could consistently summon the frog brothers, to whom Hinata had taken to giving treats. At the end of the third day, he managed to summon a larger frog wielding a katana by the name of Gamahide.

While it was an improvement, Naruto still felt frustrated. "Damn it!" he growled, kicking at the dirt on the fourth day once he had finished summoning Gamahide for the second time in hours. "What's the matter with me? Just four days ago I could do it!"

"Don't worry, Naruto-kun," Hinata said gently. "I'm sure you'll get it."

"It's just that I can't..." He stopped himself.

"Can't what?"

"I can't... get the chakra to work right," he finished. He didn't want to tell her about the Nine-Tails. For some reason, he hadn't been able to talk to it again since his near death experience and had no idea why. What was it about that fall that he couldn't repeat that allowed him to talk to the Fox? Naruto sighed, discouragement getting the best of him. "At this rate, I'll never beat Neji..."

Hinata froze. It was the first time he'd ever mentioned Neji since the preliminaries. "Naruto-kun... Y-you can-"

"Neji's really strong, isn't he?" Naruto cut her off, though it seemed like he hadn't even heard her.

"Well, yes," she said quietly. B-but you... I think you can beat him, Naruto-kun."

"Well sure! I mean, I am super strong." Naruto let out an empty laugh. "But... I saw what he did to you... You put up an amazing fight, but even so... I mean, I don't even have the Byakugan or Gentle Fist..."

"I was only able to fight so well thanks to you, Naruto-kun," she said quickly. Naruto gave her a confused look as she continued, "When you told me I could do it, when you cheered me on... I felt new strength." She took a deep breath. "I feel like you were lending me some of your strength – inspiring me. That's how it is when you're with me... That's how it's_ always _been," she added, looking away.

"I'm glad you think so," said Naruto, oblivious to the deeper meaning of her words. "But... I'm not really that great. I know I look tough, but I only act like that because I'm frustrated with how much of a failure I am."

"That's not true," Hinata chimed in. "In my eyes, you're a proud failure. When you fail, you pick yourself back up. I've seen the things you do, Naruto-kun. I've seen how you don't ever give up, even when the odds are overwhelmingly against you and because of that, when I look at you, I get this... this _intense_ feeling deep in my heart." Blood began rushing to her face at what she was divulging, but she did her best to repress it and pushed forwards. "I believe that what you have is true strength. You're the strongest person I know, Naruto-kun. That's the truth."

Naruto's mouth had fallen open at her words. He closed it and the trademark grin returned to his face. "Thanks, Hinata. I was really getting down on myself there, but that made me feel a lot better!"

"N-no problem," she muttered, also smiling and trying unsuccessfully to hide her blush.

"You know what I think about you?" he asked, still grinning.

"What?" she asked.

"I used to think you were this plain, dark-looking weirdo." Hinata did her best to hide her disappointment. "But now, you're really just... one of my favorite people!" he finished. His words rang through her mind like enormous church bells. It was true that he'd said he was glad she was on his team earlier, but to take it to that level... it left her stunned. A moment passed where it seemed like he was waiting for her to reply, but she could not bring herself to move. Eventually, he said, "Whaddya say we continue the training?"

"Uh-huh..." she muttered.

"_Kuchiyose no jutsu!"_ Naruto cried, planting his palm into the ground once more. A great plume of smoke erupted from the ground and when it cleared, a massive toad – different from Gamabunta – sat on the ground, carrying two katana across its back. "Wooaaaah!" said Naruto, looking up at the frog. "Check him out!" he called to Hinata, pointing at the summoned creature.

Hinata finally returned to reality. "You... you did it, Naruto-kun!" she said excitedly.

The frog, Gamahiro, looked around, confused, eventually noticing Naruto celebrating with Hinata on the ground. _Hm...?_ Gamahiro scrutinized the boy and smiled. _Ah... that's the child that everyone's been talking about on Myobokuzan,_ he realized. _Bunta was right. He is a special child after all._

* * *

><p>By the time Naruto dismissed Gamhiro, the sun had begun to set. He and Hinata decided to end the day on a good note and so departed from the training ground. They walked back in silence, Naruto still riding the wave of satisfaction while Hinata contemplated the future.<p>

Eventually, they arrived at the crossroads where their paths would split. After a moment, Hinata spoke, "Since you've managed to get control of your jutsu, I guess you d-don't need me to help you train."

"I guess so," Naruto muttered, uncharacteristically quiet.

Hinata breathed deep. "Well, I guess this is where we part ways-"

"Hey, come with me for a second," Naruto interrupted.

Hinata's face turned red. _Eh? All of a sudden, this...?_ "Wh-where to?" she asked.

"There's a place I want to show you," he answered, taking her by the hand and leading her down a street that she was fairly certain led to neither of their homes.

"O-okay!" she said as she was pulled along.

Eventually, Naruto stopped. "We're here!" he said cheerfully, pointing at a shop.

"Huh?" Hinata looked at the small bakery Naruto had brought her to. "Naruto-kun, what...?" The sound of jingling coins directed her gaze. Naruto was holding his froggy wallet up.

"I walk by this place every once in a while," he explained. "When they're baking things in the morning, you can smell every sweet thing from out in the street. Know what scent is always the strongest?" He grinned at Hinata's questioning look. "Cinnamon rolls."

"N-Naruto-kun..." she whispered, clutching her hand to her chest.

He jiggled his wallet, letting the coins ring again. "I've been saving up a little bit after every mission. I figured it's about time to make good on my promise."

Her heart skipped a beat as she instantly recalled their conversation following the completion of the bell test. She hadn't expected him to remember it. _She _had practically forgotten it. The heat rose in her face. Her throat dried out. "This... Naruto-kun... I don't know what to say..."

"Come on, let's get while the getting's good!" Once more he took her hand, not noticing how warm it was now, and entered the shop.

Hinata barely remembered greeting the clerk, ordering a dozen, Naruto's payment, or receiving the rolls and leaving. That process was just a warm, fuzzy blur. All she knew was that now, she was sitting next to Naruto, tasting sweet cinnamon and sugar glaze. Naruto sat next to her, also enjoying a pastry.

"Y'know, these things aren't half bad," he muttered, chewing a large bite of the rolls. Hinata uttered a noise of agreement. Naruto's deep blue eyes landed on her face. "You know, Hinata... even though I've got the jutsu more or less down, I think I could still use your help. That is, if you don't have anything else to do..."

Like a rusty gear, her neck turned slowly so she could face him. She had no idea that her expression displayed amazed disbelief.

Naruto leaned back on the bench. "Earlier, you said that I inspire you," he said quietly. "But I think the reverse is true, too." Hinata felt her world spin. "You're a really great friend, Hinata." Naruto recalled the vow he made on her blood, how it had spurred him forward for the past three weeks. "So, if you wouldn't mind... would you stay with me while I train? I'd really appreciate your company."

Hinata's arms moved independently of her conscious mind and lifted the cinnamon roll to her mouth. What met her tongue, however, was a tinge of salt along with the sweetness of the food. _Huh?_

"Eh? H-hey, Hinata, what's wrong?" Naruto suddenly looked panicked.

She lifted a finger to her cheek and felt the steady stream of hot tears run over it. The stream grew thicker, as if her tear ducts knew she'd sensed their presence and reacted accordingly.

"Wh-whatever it was I said, I'm sorry!" Naruto said hurriedly.

The dam burst. Placing the roll back in its box, she buried her face in Naruto's chest, sobbing uncontrollably. The past month's anxiety rushed out of her onto Naruto's jacket. She'd wanted to say how sorry she was for letting Orochimaru hurt him and Sasuke, for being so weak and losing so terribly to Neji, to beg for forgiveness and plead for forgiveness, but those urges vanished as she let herself be washed away in the catharsis of her weeping.

Naruto's panic dissolved as he recognized her reaction. It was the same one he'd had when Iruka had declared Naruto a true shinobi of Konoha instead of an incarnation of the Nine-Tails, the same one Inari had when Naruto had saved him and his mother. He remembered what he'd told the young boy. "_It's okay to cry when they're tears of joy!" _Something instinctual within him guided his hand to the top of her head and he began stroking her hair.

"Thank you," she mumbled, sniffling a bit. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

"Don't worry about it," Naruto said, running his fingers through her raven locks. "It's all right."

* * *

><p>Man, this chuunin exam thing just <em>doesn't<em> _end!_ This'll probably only go on for one more chapter. Then, things get _nuts. _For those of you who have stuck by me, you have my sincerest thanks.

Yes, I included Naruto and Hinata's exchange regarding Naruto as a proud failure even though I had a similar conversation early on. It's too cute a scene to leave out. I have a weakness for such things.

The timeline continues to diverge:

-Due to Hinata's Byakugan, Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata all gained more strength than normal from the tree-climbing exercise.

-Thanks to Hinata's interference, Orochimaru does not place the Five Elements seal on Naruto, so Naruto is not incapacitated for as long.

-During the battle with the Sound trio, Hinata, pushed to her limit, finds new strength to protect Naruto and Sasuke. The Nine-Tails chakra encroaches on Naruto once more before the end of the exam.

-Ino makes it to the chuunin exam, defeating Sakura.

-Naruto masters the _kuchiyose_ more quickly than normal. This leaves him time to refine the technique.

You keep readin' and reviewin', and I'll keep puttin' these chapters out!


	8. Triumph

I'm baaaaaack! I know it's been a while, but shit got crazy and my computer got crazy and blah blah excuses but the long and short of it is that I've returned and since I've been gone so long, it's a mega-chapter, wrapping up the rest of the chuunin exam without having to click to another chapter!

From what I can see, you guys have liked the changes implemented so far and want more. Hold onto your hats, wonderful readers, because more changes are inbound! Not all of the reasons for the changes will be explicitly stated, so for some y'all will have to just infer. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own it, I just write about it.

Introduction:

When two waves are out of phase with one another, they may interfere with each other. This interference may be constructive, making the overall effect greater or milder than normal. However, there are nodes where the effects of the two waves cancel each other out completely, becoming utterly the same.

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: Triumph<p>

The day after Naruto and Hinata's little bakery excursion (Hinata liked to think of it as a date, even though she knew it was foolish), they were right back to training. Neither of them mentioned Hinata's fit of crying, but there seemed to be even less tension in the air than before.

They met up early in the morning back at the training ground where they had taken the bell test. "Alright, here we go!" Naruto shouted, eagerly forming the proper seals.

"Wait," said Hinata, looking up. "Do you hear something?"

"Like what?" said Naruto, confused.

"Like..." she searched for the words, frowning. "Like a ball bouncing up and down really fast."

Naruto listened for it. "I don't hear it..." He paused. "Wait. Now I do. What is that?"

"I don't know..."

Suddenly, an enormous object landed hard in front of them, sending a cloud of dust into the air "What the hell is that?" Naruto yelled as he and Hinata shielded their eyes, waiting for it to clear. A low, rumbling laugh began from within the dust.

"It is I!" said the owner of the laugh. "The great sage of Myobokuzan! The master of toads, feared by villains, revered by heroes, and beloved by women! The one and only-"

"Hey, Pervy Sage," Naruto interrupted flatly.

The dust dispersed, revealing an irate Jiraiya standing mid-pose atop a toad that was about twice his size, one foot still in the air. "You ruined my introduction! And my name is Jiraiya the _Toad Sage_, dammit!" he growled at Naruto.

"Whatever, Pervy Toad Sage!" Naruto snapped back, glaring.

_Oh, they're toads_, not _frogs, _thought Hinata.

"If your stupid introductions weren't so long, I wouldn't have to stop them!" Naruto fumed. "And where the hell have you been for the past week? I totally summoned a giant toad and you didn't even see it!"

"I saw it!" said Jiraiya, suddenly grinning. "And I came back to tell you that there's another jutsu that I think I should teach you."

Naruto's rage vanished in an instant, replaced with glee. "Really? Cool! Teach me, teach me!"

"Calm down, calm down," Jiraiya replied with a laugh. "Who's your friend here, by the way?"

"Oh!" squeaked Hinata, surprised at being noticed. "I-I'm Hyuuga Hinata, Jiraiya-sama, sir," she muttered, giving a deep bow.

"Oh-ho! A pleasure to meet you. It seems my reputation precedes me!" Jiraiya boasted, giving his best "handsome hero" face.

"Yeah, your reputation as a pervert," Naruto muttered snidely, erasing Jiraiya's expression. "Watch out for this guy Hinata. He's a mega-pervert."

"Stop badmouthing me!" Jiraiya shouted, clocking Naruto on the head. "I'm not into girls that young!"

Naruto looked ready to retaliate before Hinata, hoping to diffuse the situation, said, "Y-you mentioned a new jutsu for Naruto-kun?"

The two froze, their aggression dissipating. "Right!" said Jiraiya brightly. "Since you've so mastered summoning, I figured you may want to try your hand at a _combination_ jutsu."

"A combi-what now?" Naruto asked.

"It's a jutsu wherein your sync your chakra with your summoned creature and use a powerful jutsu that utilizes both your strengths," Jiraiya explained. He paused, seeing that he had lost Naruto somewhere around the word "sync." Sighing, he continued, "Look, just summon something and I'll show you myself." Naruto nodded and began focusing his chakra. Jiraiya watched, noting how he wasn't using just his own chakra or just the Fox's. Indeed, he seemed to be fusing them at the core of his chakra coil network, allowing a more smooth flow throughout the rest of his body. _It's not as powerful as the pure Fox chakra, but it's no doubt less taxing..._ Jiraiya concluded. _I wonder when he managed that... and if he even knows he's doing it._

"_Kuchiyose no jutsu!" _Naruto bellowed, summoning a toad just about as large as the one on which Jiraiya had arrived. This toad, however appeared to be wearing samurai plating on its arms and legs and carried a _kanabo, _currently slung over his shoulder. Naruto smiled at his success.

"Hello!" said the toad cheerfully. "Ready to fight!"

"Gamatarou-san," said Jiraiya. "Good to see you. I'm helping this boy train today."

Gamatarou looked at Naruto, then back to Jiraiya. "That's the one who's been summoning the boss's kids back and forth. Is he really okay?"

"Tell Bunta I approve of him," said Jiraiya. "Would you mind assisting us?"

"Not at all," said Gamatarou, planting his _kanabo_ in the ground.

"Good. Then let's do it!" Jiraiya and Gamatarou formed seals simultaneously. Placing his hand on Gamatarou's back, Jiraiya roared, "_Suiton: Mizudeppou (Water Release: Water Gun)!"_

A font of water shot from Gamatarou's mouth, devastating a nearby boulder. Naruto and Hinata gaped in awe as pebbles rained down around them. "Wooow!" yelled Naruto. "That's awesome!"

"You think that's good?" said Jiraiya, getting carried away. "Check this out!" Forming another set of seals, he put his hand to Gamatarou's back. "_Suiton: Gamayudan (Water Release: Toad Oil Bullet)!"_ As Gamatarou spewed out a geyser of oil into the air, Jiraiya immediately followed up with, "_Katon: Endan (Fire Release: Flame Bullet)!"_ and blasted the air with from his own mouth, igniting the oil. Naruto and Hinata _ooh'_d and _ahh'd_ at the fireball above them."That's the _Gamayuendan (Toad Oil Flame Bullet),"_ Jiraiya explained. "A powerful attack, but maybe a bit out of your league. Let's stick with just the _Mizudeppou_ for now."

"Looks like a piece of cake!" said Naruto, rushing over to Gamatarou. "I'll master it in less than a week. Here we go!" he formed the same seals Jiraiya had, planted his hand in Gamatarou's back and yelled, "_Suiton: Mizudeppou!"_

After a second, Gamatarou opened his mouth. A small stream of saliva dribbled out. Naruto scowled in embarrassment. "Less than a week, eh?" said Jiraiya. "I hope that's true. Aren't the finals in a week's time?"

"Why can I never do this crap right?" Naruto yelled, frustrated.

"Easy there," said Jiraiya, patting Naruto. "No one does it perfectly the first time. I'm sure you can get it." _The chances he'll get it before the finals are pretty slim,_ thought Jiraiya. _But it'll be a good start on getting better control of his chakra._ He turned to Hinata. "Hinata, was it? I think it's okay if you go home for now. Naruto can handle this one on his own."

"W-well, that is, I r-really..." she stammered. "I c-could train here too..."

"Hinata's been helping me," said Naruto. "I'd like her to stay."

Because he was looking at Jiraiya, Naruto did not notice the enormous blush on Hinata's face, though the odds that he would have noticed it if he were staring point blank at her were not much better. "Is that so?" Jiraiya said, grinning. "Well then, young miss, you are free to stay."

Hinata nodded. "O-okay!"

"All right," said Jiraiya, mounting his toad once more. "I'll leave you to it, then. Later!" With that, he and the giant toad vanished.

"He always does that," Naruto grumbled. "Well, I guess it's back to work for me, then!" he said, turning to Gamatarou.

"Wait, Naruto-kun," said Hinata. "Before you begin, there's something I should tell you..."

He stopped mid-step. "What is it?"

"It's about Neji-niisan," she explained. "I should tell you about his cursed seal."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You told me about that in the forest, remember?"

She shook her head. "I haven't told you everything. The cursed seal has one more function besides sealing the Byakugan."

"What is it?"

She paused, making sure she was ready to divulge clan information. "It can be used by the members of the main house to punish branch house members."

"Punish... how?" said Naruto slowly.

"I'm not sure how it actually works," Hinata began, "But if a member of a main house makes a certain hand seal, the targeted branch house member's brain cells begin to die... It's incredibly painful."

"That's terrible!" Naruto said immediately.

"I know," said Hinata quickly, ashamed. "I don't agree with it, but the elders insist that it's done... It's part of why Neji-niisan is so angry. You see, his father... No, I should start before then." She took a deep breath. "When I was four years old, a high-ranking ninja from the Cloud village tried to kidnap me while I slept. My father killed him relatively simply, but the Cloud village claimed that it was an unprovoked attack and asked for father's body in return."

"What bastards!" Naruto interjected.

"They really only wanted the Byakugan," Hinata continued. "It's why they kidnapped me, a member of the main house, in the first place. But the clan wasn't willing to give up father that easily. Instead, they..."

"They what?"

"They took Neji-niisan's father." Silence washed over them. "It was the only way to protect the Byakugan while maintaining peace. Neji-niisan's been resentful of the main branch ever since. He thinks my father should have been the one who died. I can't... I can't reasonably say he's wrong."

"Neither of them should have died," Naruto said quietly, fist trembling. "It's not right."

"It isn't," said Hinata softly, shame filling her heart. "But it is the way of the Hyuuga."

"Then when I become Hokage, I'm going to change the Hyuuga!" Naruto declared, surprising Hinata. "But first, I have to beat Neji!"

Hinata smiled. "In that case," she said, "Let me tell you about the Byakugan's blindspot..."

* * *

><p>The week passed with no word from Sasuke or Kakashi. Hinata didn't mind that much – training with Naruto was nice, even if she wasn't quite sure how she was contributing at this point. After Hinata had explained it a few times, Naruto had managed to grasp the basics of the Byakugan training, or so she hoped: she hadn't observed any incorporation of that knowledge into his training. As she awoke on the day of the finals, memories of Naruto's ill-planned leap into Haku's ice mirror trap slithered their way into her mind. Though he could be pretty crafty in a battle, Naruto was not known for premeditated strategy.<p>

She took a deep breath. _I'm sure it will be fine..._ she thought, pulling on her jacket.

She couldn't kid herself. She had witnessed Neji's devastating power first hand and she didn't doubt that this month had only nurtured his growth. Naruto would have his work cut out for him. _It _will_ be fine,_ she told herself again. The picture of Team 7 on her dresser caught her eye and she found her smile. _Naruto-kun is the strongest person I know. _

A knock at the door brought her back to reality. "Hinata-sama?" came Ko's voice. Hinata skipped over and opened the door, revealing both her caretaker and Naruto. Hinata blinked in surprise. "You have a guest," Ko explained.

"I see... Th-thank you, Ko," Hinata replied. Ko bowed and took his leave.

"Hey," said Naruto, grinning.

"H-hello, Naruto-kun... if I may ask, wh-what are you doing here?" said Hinata.

He averted his gaze, scratching at his jawline with a lopsided grin. "Well, it's the day of the finals... I thought you might want to grab some ramen with me beforehand..."

Hinata blushed. "S-sure," she whispered, heartbeat accelerating.

* * *

><p>As they approached Ichiraku, it seemed to Hinata that the conversation ran out of words more quickly the closer they got. The tension of the upcoming battle weighed heavily upon both of them. Hinata couldn't help but notice Naruto's worried look only worsened with every passing minute. She didn't want to press the issue.<p>

"Hey, kid!" said Teuchi, washing a ramen bowl as they arrived.

"Hey, old man," Naruto returned with little inflection.

_Bad sign,_ thought Hinata.

"What can I getcha?" Teuchi asked, turning towards the pots in the back of the stand.

"Eh." He shrugged. "Whatever."

Hinata's brow furrowed. _Very bad sign._

"Anything for you, young miss?" said Teuchi, turning to Hinata.

She jumped a bit in surprise at being acknowledged. "Oh, I'll j-just have whatever he's having," she said quickly.

Teuchi nodded. "Two miso with pork, Ayame!" he called over his shoulder. His daughter nodded and set to work.

While Hinata desperately wanted to say something to Naruto, the awkwardness of the situation got the better of her and she covered by gazing with faux intent at the ramen being made. "Smells good, doesn't it Naruto-kun?"

"Yup," he replied and the dialogue died.

A searing silence enveloped them, mercifully dissipated by Teuchi setting the bowls in front of them. "Eat up!" he exclaimed cheerfully.

"Th-thank you," said Hinata, reaching for her chopsticks as Naruto leisurely grabbed his. As she dug into her food, she noticed that Naruto wasn't touching his, instead hovering over his dish._ Very, very bad sign! _Gathering her courage, Hinata nudged Naruto's bowl, causing the contents to begin undulating. Naruto looked to Hinata. "Come on, Naruto-kun, eat up!" she said with as much cheer as she could muster. "You'll need your strength if you're going to defeat Neji-niisan."

Naruto blinked, then gave a halfhearted chuckle. "You really think I can beat him?"

"Of course," she answered immediately. "I'm sure of it. But you'll need a full stomach to do it." She watched Naruto fidget with his chopsticks. _He doesn't believe me. _"I've fought Neji-niisan. I've seen you train. So I know personally that you can do it." She gulped. "I'll feed you if you want, Naruto-kun," she added quietly.

Naruto laughed again, this time more with more life to it. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief as Naruto's trademark smile returned. "That's okay," he said, gripping his chopsticks firmly. "I think this way is faster." With that, he tore into his food with his usual breakneck pace. Hinata smiled despite her minor disappointment and continued her own meal.

Once Hinata had finished her bowl and Naruto had concurrently finished three, the two sat back, satisfied. "That was great!" said Naruto, hand on stomach. "Old man, how much do I owe you?"

Teuchi waved him off. "Your big fight's today, isn't it? No charge for you or your lady-friend."

Naruto grinned wide, hopping off the stool. "Thanks! If you get the time, come by and watch me kick some ass!" Teuchi smiled affirmatively.

"Th-thank you for the meal," said Hinata, bowing a little before following Naruto.

Fingers intertwined behind his head, Naruto seemed to have much more of a spring in his step as they neared the arena. "Ah, just what I needed. I feel like I could take on the world!" he boasted, throwing a few punches at the air.

"I know you can," Hinata interjected, pleased with Naruto's returned courage.

Soon, they were at the arena gates. To the right of the main entrance was a side door with a sign marked. "COMBATANTS" above it. "Guess this is where we split up," said Naruto. "Make sure you get good seats to watch me whoop Neji's smug ass!" he added and sped off into the stadium.

"Good luck, Naruto-kun!" Hinata called after him. Once he was out of sight, she decided to enter as well, hoping to do as Naruto said. Inside the stadium, she made her way over to an area with a good view of the battlefield and began looking for open seats.

Naruto arrived at the chamber preceding the battlefield. Genma, Shino, Shikamaru, Ino, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, and Neji were standing there. "We're waiting for one more," said Genma.

_Sasuke,_ concluded Naruto. _Where is he?_

"This is a pain," groaned Shikamaru. "Can't we just get this over with? It's almost time, anyway."

Genma glanced outside. "We'll give him five more minutes," he said calmly. Five minutes passed painfully slowly. Naruto kept glancing towards the entrance, expecting to see Sasuke and each time was disappointed. At last, Genma made a gesture of beckoning. "Alright, it's time let's get going."

With a frown, Naruto followed Genma and the other contestants. As he was about to step through the dorway, he heard a whooshing sound behind him. "Forgetting someone?" said a voice.

Naruto turned to see Sasuke standing there, arms folded. "Hey!" Naruto yelped, smiling.

"Long time no see," Sasuke said coolly, grinning.

"Sasuke," said Naruto with a serious tone. "I... want to fight you too."

Sasuke's grin faded and he nodded in acknowledgment.

* * *

><p>"Hinata!" came a familiar female voice to Hinata's left. She turned to see Sakura sitting with Kiba and to Hinata's surprise Chouji of all people. Sakura made a gesture of beckoning and Hinata skipped over, taking a seat next to her. "Here to see Naruto fight Neji?" asked Sakura while Kiba and Chouji waved. Hinata nodded at the obvious question. "That's great. Kiba and I are here to support Shino, Chouji's here to support Shikamaru and the pig." Hinata recognized Sakura's method of vamping before cutting to the chase. "So, have you heard anything from Sasuke-kun yet?" Sakura said finally.<p>

Hinata resisted an unladylike eye-roll. "No," she answered, staring at the arena. "But I think we are about to." She pointed to the contestants, who were following Genma onto the field.

"_Kyaaah!" _Sakura squealed excitedly as she gazed at the combatants. "_Sasuke-kuuun!" _

"Geez," grumbled Kiba, a finger in the ear closest to Sakura, with a sympathetic whimper from Akamaru. "You'd never know her own teammate was competing."

Soon, the field cleared, leaving only Shino, Ino and Genma. "The first match!" yelled Genma, hand raised. "Yamanaka Ino versus Aburame Shino: _Begin!_" He brought his hand down and Ino and Shino bounded away from each other to the opposite sides of the arena.

"Go Ino!" roared Chouji, one fist in the air while the other clutched a bag of chips.

"See, _that's_ how you cheer for your comrade," said Kiba, glancing sidelong at Sakura. "You've got it, Shino!" he added as Akamaru barked excitedly.

"Shut up!" Sakura bit back. "I'm rooting for Shino too! I was just worried about Sasuke-kun, that's all."

Hinata smiled, deciding to let her worry take a backseat to the fight.

On the battlefield, Ino scowled at her opponent. _Why do I have to fight the grossest guy right off the bat?_ she asked no one. _Couldn't I have fought Naruto or pretty much anyone else? I wouldn't have minded grappling with Sasuke-kun. _She whipped out a kunai and assumed a battle stance, sending her long ponytail bouncing around her. _Can't be helped, I guess. All I can do is win._ She hurled the knife at Shino, whose bugs redirected it. _How am I gonna deal with those?_ she wondered, charging in.

Shino met her attack with a small swarm. "Out of respect for a fellow Konoha shinobi, I will give you a chance to surrender," he said. "Because you do not wish to fight my insects."

"As if, bug brain!" she returned, dodging backwards and throwing shuriken, which Shino deflected again. _Tch. If only Shikamaru were here,_ she thought. _What would he do? "Bunshin no jutsu (Clone technique)!"_ she roared and four copies materialized around her.

"A simple _bunshin_ will not be enough," said Shino. "Because my beetles will sniff out the real you in no time."

"They can try," Ino said as she directed her clones to dodge the swarm. _That ought to buy me a few seconds,_ she decided with some satisfaction. _Okay, what next? Be five steps ahead, just like Shikamaru. _Her brow furrowed. _My only choice is to get him with _Shintenshin. _But after my bout with Sakura, he's gotta see it coming. Gotta distract him, get an opening, nail 'im with the trump card. Here I go!_ Ino and her _bunshin_ ducked and dodged, shuffling positions to confuse the bugs.

"It's useless," Shino said as his bugs chased. "You are delaying the inevitable." The copies suddenly threw several shuriken at Shino, who made no attempt to dodge until one of them cut across his cheek and another sliced his jacket. He put his hand to the wound and examined the blood that dripped onto it. _Two shuriken were real?_ Shino wondered, dodging another hail. _She's maneuvering the shuriken into the bunshin to make it impossible to tell which is which. Clever._ _You wouldn't guess it from her attitude, but Ino had the highest overall grades at the academy. It would be bad to forget that._

Just then, each Ino surrounded Shino, fists raised. The one in front attacked first. Shino instinctively raised his arm to block, but the fist never made contact. Instead, the one behind him struck him on the back of the head, sending him flying. Ino smiled in self-satisfaction. "With that army of creepy-crawlies, I figured close combat would be your weakness," she boasted, unable to help herself. "I'll give you a chance to surrender!"

Shino stood, silent. Extending one arm, he made an unmistakable gesture: _come get it. _Ino was eager to comply as she renewed her onslaught. That first attack had been a sort of test run to see if she _could_ connect with an attack. This time, she'd finish it.

This time, Shino was prepared and more able to dodge and block. He began to use his swarm to defend himself, but Ino pushed past her disgust to gain the upper hand, ricocheting kunai off the arena walls to add an edge to her attack. Eventually, Ino managed to sweep her leg underneath Shino. As he fell, Ino formed the seal for her signature technique. With a smile, she cried, _"Shintenshin no jutsu!"_

The stadium fell silent as Shino froze and Ino's body fell. As the rush of switching minds faded, Ino couldn't help but feel thrilled. She'd _won,_ beaten the scion of one of the most powerful if incredibly icky clans in Konoha, and all with her wits. All that remained was to lift Shino's arm in surrender. Best of all, she'd get to do it while looking right in his beady little eyes.

_Wait, what?_

Ino was indeed looking right at Shino, but that was impossible. The _Shintenshin _had worked, she was sure of it. But if she wasn't in Shino's body, where was she? _And what the hell is with that stupid loud fluttering?_ Shino approached, growing closer and closer... and larger. With every step, he became tremendous, actually, and had to stoop down to be at eye level with her. He felt his massive fingers close around her body.

With horror, Ino realized exactly what had happened.

"I do not usually do this," came Shino's booming voice. "But I would like to offer you another chance to surrender." Ino released the jutsu immediately. She awoke in her own body after what she knew must have been a few minutes. As she gathered her bearings, she realized the tremendous volume of bugs surrounding her, only a few inches above her flesh. "Your plan was well planned and well executed. However, it did not work. This is because I was able to analyze your attack patterns and redirect my swarm to compensate. When I knew an opening was coming, I sent a single bug to intercept your _Shintenshin._"

"But how?" Ino asked, trying to ignore the awfulness of her situation. "You couldn't have possibly known where the wave was going."

"I didn't. But in your previous battle with Sakura, I had my insects analyze it. Their offspring, these bugs, knew all about it." The bugs inched ever closer. "Now, I believe you should surrender."

"Okay, okay!" Ino stood and winced as the bugs followed her. "I give! Just make it stop, already!"

The swarm scattered instantly. Shino turned towards Genma. "Proctor?"

Genma smiled. "The winner, Aburame Shino!"

A mild applause came from the audience. Such an abrupt ending to the fight had staggered the anticipatory energy in the crowd. Shino darted back towards the combatants' balcony while Ino dashed up the wall of the stadium.

"Nice try, Ino," said Chouji as Ino arrived in their section. "Want some of my chips?"

"Shut it!" snapped Ino. "I would've had it if not for that stupid mistake!"

"You fought a good fight, Ino. If you fought again, I'm sure you'd win," Sakura said with a smile.

Ino sighed. "Thanks, Sakura."

"Don't mention it." She gestured to the seat to the right of Chouji. "Wanna sit with us?"

"Ugh, no thanks," said Ino with a shudder. "I'd love to stay, but I have to go take a bath _forever. _That was literally the nastiest thing that has ever happened to me. Cheer Shikamaru on for me, will you? Later, everyone." With that, she bounded off.

Meanwhile, in the contestants' balcony, Naruto gripped the railing anxiously. The fight had ramped him up for his own bout, but one more battle was scheduled before his and Neji's. He dared not look at his opponent and instead turned to Shikamaru. "You're up, huh?" he muttered. Temari had already descended.

"Guess so," said Shikamaru with familiar nonchalance

"Well, you better not lose! I wanna face you after I beat up Neji and Sasuke."

"Think it'll be that easy?" said Sasuke, confident. "You haven't seen me in a month, you know."

"_You_ haven't seen _me,"_ Naruto returned with just as much confidence.

"What a pain," uttered Shikamaru, staring at the clouds, leaving him completely open to Naruto's sudden shove.

* * *

><p>As the fight between Shikamaru and Temari persisted, Naruto couldn't help but think about his upcoming matches. He'd heard whisperings over the past month that the real fights would all be Sasuke-based. Sasuke vs. Gaara. Sasuke vs Neji. No one even cared that Naruto would be fighting Neji.<p>

_I'll show them,_ he thought with a defiant grin. _They don't know how strong I've become._

"Shikamaru's doing great!" said Chouji back in the stands.

"What are you talking about?" said Sakura. "He's getting pushed around. Temari's way stronger. If he doesn't do something, Shikamaru's going to lose."

"That's true," Chouji said easily, which prompted a raised eyebrow from Sakura. "Shikamaru will lose."

"Wait, I thought you were supporting him," said Kiba. "Now you're saying he's going to lose? What kind of teammate are you?"

Chouji laughed, shoveling another handful of chips into his gaping maw. "You guys just don't get Shikamaru," he managed through the mouthful.

"Whatever," said Sakura, leaning back. "Let's just hope this match finishes soon. The next fight'll be quick, and then we get to see Sasuke-kun!" Nobody noticed the disapproving look on Hinata's face or if they did, they mistook it for focus on the battle.

She was brought out of it by the sound of someone approaching. Turning to look, she saw Kakashi, hands in pockets, stepping down towards them. "Kakashi-sensei!" she said, surprised.

"Yo!" he replied with a salute. "Sorry I'm late. I was going to head over here with Sasuke, but I found the most _enchanting_ meadow on the way and I was immediately taken with the arrangement of flowers within."

Brushing past his excuse, Hinata said, "You're just in time. Naruto-kun's fight is next."

"Ah," said Kakashi, suddenly taking a serious tone. "How is he?"

Hinata knew that his question bore much more weight than was superficially apparent. It struck her for the first time that aside from Jiraiya, she was the only person who knew of Naruto's growth. She smiled. "Just wait," she said, turning back towards the arena. "You'll see."

Kakashi gave his one-eyed smile. "I'm glad."

"Winner: Temari!" announced Genma from the arena after Shikamaru's sudden surrender.

Sakura and Kiba shared looks of shock while Chouji merely smiled. "See? I told you guys. You just don't get Shikamaru."

"I guess it's time, then," said Kakashi quietly. Hinata did not respond.

At the moment of Shikamaru's surrender, Naruto jumped from the balcony down to the arena and ran past the stunned Temari up to Shikamaru. "What the hell was that?" he said, outrage plain on his face.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Made the most sense to me."

"But you had it in the bag, idiot!"

"Don't call me an idiot, _idiot."_ He smirked. "Besides, shouldn't that anger be directed to someone else?" He gestured behind Naruto, who turned to see that Temari had left the arena. In her place, Neji had arrived, arms crossed and wearing cocksure grin. "I saw Chouji in the stands earlier with some others. I'm gonna go watch from there. Good luck," said Shikamaru, waving as he turned to leave.

"Thanks," Naruto muttered, still glaring at Neji.

"Contestants ready?" asked Genma. Naruto and Neji nodded. "Then, the third match: Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyuuga Neji – Begin!"

While Neji assumed a battle stance, Naruto remained standing normally. "Before we fight, I wanna ask you something."

Neji raised an eyebrow and relaxed slightly. "What?"

"Why did you hurt Hinata?"

Neji's smile wilted almost imperceptibly. "We were fighting. That's what you're supposed to do in a battle, you know."

"That's not what I mean!" Naruto yelled. "You didn't fight like it was just a match between two konoha shinobi – between _family;_you were cruel to her!"

"What business is it of yours?" asked Neji, his voice taking a sharp tone.

"She's my friend and teammate," Naruto replied solidly. "And the way you treated her-"

"Hinata-sama is the spoiled brat of the main house," Neji hissed back. "She needed to learn a lesson about the truth of the universe."

"Which is?"

"Fate is unchangeable."

A light breeze passed over them silently. "You're always on about that..." Naruto uttered, brow furrowed. "I'm going to give you a chance. Apologize to Hinata and this fight won't be anything but a way to tell who gets to go to the next round. If not... I won't hold anything back."

This pulled a laugh from Neji. "An empty threat from a failure of a shinobi." He resumed his fighting stance and charged. "Come then, failure. Don't hold anything back!"

"_Kagebunshin no jutsu!" _Naruto roared, summoning a horde of clones.

"A good plan," said Kakashi appreciatively in the stands. "That'll keep him out of Neji's reach for now."

"But will it be enough?" said Shikamaru, eyebrow raised. "Naruto may have pulled out some tricks against Kiba, but Neji's pretty strong, right?"

"Just wait," said Hinata, eyes steady on the fight. "Just... wait."

"In the end, there's only one real body," Neji declared, radiating confidence.

"Stop disrespecting me!" Naruto's clones yelled, charging at Neji. Neji tore them apart easily as the original Naruto put some distance between them._ Gotta watch out for that... If he presses my _tenketsu,_ it's over._

"Neji's skills don't appear to have dulled," muttered Kakashi and once more only Hinata understood the weight of his words.

"Seems not," Hinata replied quickly and Kakashi nodded.

"Oh-ho! Seems like the match is just starting to heat up!" came a voice from behind Kakashi. Guy and Lee slowly made their way down the steps of the stands towards the rest of the group.

"Ah, Guy, Lee" said Kakashi.

"Good afternoon, Sakura-san!" Lee called to the pink-haired girl, who waved back awkwardly. "Have we missed anything?" he asked eagerly.

"Not yet," Hinata answered. "It's only just begun."

"Give up," said Neji.

"Go to hell! I'm not good at giving up!" Naruto summoned another batch of clones.

"I'm not stupid. I already understand your attack pattern." Neji began ripping through the clones. "You don't want me to press your _tenketsu._ Therefore, you keep the real body farthest away from the action." He aimed a palm at the Naruto before him but instead struck metal. Another chakra had suddenly appeared in Naruto's place. "What?" He jumped backwards as a massive club swung at him and observed a giant toad sitting on the arena floor.

The real Naruto stepped out from behind the toad. _"Kuchiyose no jutsu,"_ he announced, grinning. "Sic 'im, Gamatarou."

Kakashi blinked in actual surprise. "Oh-ho," he said. "A summoned creature?" _A toad? _he mused, looking across the stadium to catch the eye of the Third Hokage, who shared his look of shock. _Jiraiya-sama, are you here?_

Gamatarou took another swing at Neji, who bounded backwards. "I'll admit this is more than I expected of you," said Neji condescendingly, dodging easily. "But I understand how summons work. All I have to do is defeat the summoner," he lunged at Naruto again, "And the creature retreats."

Gamatarou gave chase, but Neji had closed the gap. As he reached in, however, Naruto grinned. Suddenly, a large column of water shot out of Gamatarou's mouth, empowered by the _kagebunshin _Naruto had attached to him. Neji was sent crashing into the wall, causing a cloud of dust to erupt around the impact site.

"Yes!" Hinata cheered, clenching a fist.

"Nice!" said Shikamaru. Kiba and Akamaru howled excitedly. Chouji devoured potato chips madly.

"Since when can Naruto do _that?_" shrieked Sakura in disbelief.

Kakashi, Guy, and Lee, however, merely looked on.

"How'd you like that?" said Naruto, grinning wildly. "Go ahead, take a minute to recover," he taunted.

"That's gracious of you, but I don't think I need it," came Neji's voice. The dust cleared to reveal no damage on him whatsoever. Instead, the ground around his feet had turned to mud and looked as though it had been stirred by a massive spoon. He smirked. "Is that it?"

Naruto's mouth fell open. "How...?"

"I imagine that Hinata-sama told you about the Byakugan's blind spot," he said, stepping out of the hole. "Rather undignified for the heir to the clan to divulge such secrets. You, then, imagined that you would use your new abilities to take advantage of that blind spot and topple me in one magnificent blow that would show me that a failure can overcome a genius." He resumed his fighting stance. "A good idea. A simple, pretty idea... but one just as fictional as you ever becoming Hokage. Do you think that I wouldn't _know_ my own blind spot? You're just as deluded as Hinata-sama." He rushed at Naruto yet again. "I intend to correct that delusion now."

Naruto countered by conjuring more _kagebunshin_, but it was only effective as a smokescreen. The clone at Gamatarou's side pumped the toad with chakra to spit more fluid at Neji, who used the _kaiten_ to deflect the attack and destroy two more _bunshin. _

"He's going to exhaust his chakra if he keeps that up," said Kiba.

"Even with all that, it's useless," Sakura muttered. "He's just too strong."

"Naruto's gotta think of something quick or he's finished," said Shikamaru.

"My adorable Neji seems to have the upper hand, Kakashi," Guy interjected. "He's not Lee's rival for nothing, you know."

"It will take more than that level of strength to beat Neji," murmured Lee, gripping his crutch harder. "I know that better than anyone."

Hinata's heart pounded. _Naruto-kun... please... do something... _Kakashi _hmm'd_ stoically next to her. _Please... please... win!_

"It's useless," Neji said, deflecting another blast from Gamatarou as the last of Naruto's clones collapsed and burst. "Learning one new jutsu didn't magically give you the power to beat me. Grow up. The world doesn't work that way."

"Fine," said Naruto. "Then I'll finish this." Neji chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh. But before I end this, I'm gonna tell you a few things."

"Be my guest."

"First is that you're gonna apologize to Hinata when this is all over." Naruto withdrew a kunai from his pouch. "Second is that I know the truth about your family's cursed seal and about your father." Neji froze. "I know that that's why you're so bitter about life and why you think you're cursed. But here's the thing: you're not that special." Neji's eyes widened. "You think you're the only one who has a burden they've been forced to carry; the only one who's suffered?" Naruto raised his voice. "Hinata's suffered too! She fought you until she was coughing up blood! You're 'supposed' to protect her as a member of the branch family, aren't you? But y_ou're _the one trying to change destiny!"

In the audience, Kiba, Akamaru, Sakura, Chouji, and Shikamaru distinctly avoided looking at Hinata. "Oh, Naruto-kun..." she whispered, her heart a swirling cauldron of emotion.

"What do you know?" Neji growled, his eyes burning like never before. "What could someone like you _possibly ever know?" _He began charging at Naruto.

"One more thing," said Naruto, twirling the kunai around his finger. "I didn't just learn _one_ new jutsu." Almost leisurely, he tossed the knife at Neji, who effortlessly spun in place, deflecting it into the ground.

It was only after the fact that he realized that an exploding tag had been wrapped around it.

The following blast rocked the arena and a massive wall of flame erupted around Neji, prompting sounds of surprise from the audience. He pieced the events of the battle together in his mind. _That wasn't water,_ he concluded. _It was oil. I couldn't tell the difference because they wouldn't have different chakra colors. He was setting this up the whole time. But, it's of no use... _Neji shut off his Byakugan: the light produced by the chakra-based oil flame was blindingly bright. _He won't be able to get through these flames any more than I will. All I have to do is wait. _The ground began rumbling beneath him. _Huh?_

Suddenly, an enormous tongue shot out of the earth and wrapped itself around Neji, tight as metal coils."Hey jerk! Up here!" he heard from above.

Neji turned to look and saw Naruto dropping rapidly towards him. The tongue still held him firm. _I can't use the _kaiten!

Naruto connected his fist with Neji's face. "Take this!" he roared and sent Neji crashing to the ground with a massive thud, his punch augmented by the acceleration of his fall. Picking himself back up, Naruto planted his foot on Neji's chest. "That'll do, Tarou," he said and the tongue slithered its way back into the ground.

_From above the flames... did the toad launch him up there? _"Unbelievable," Neji groaned. "The _bunshin, _the toad, the fire... to think that you of all people had so many backup plans in place."

"That's where you're wrong," Naruto gloated as Gamatarou began extinguishing the flames. "All of this was to set up that punch. From the start, I just had to make sure you couldn't spin your way out of it." His expression became serious. "I couldn't have done it without Hinata. Her help is how I was able to master the _kuchiyose._" He took a breath. "Hinata didn't tell me about your blind spot as the heir to the main family or whatever. She told me as a fellow Konoha shinobi who wanted her comrade to win. That's all." Neji let out a bitter laugh from underneath Naruto's heel. Naruto pointed to Neji's forehead. "I was hoping you'd understand this earlier, but... did you even realize that if Hinata wanted to defeat you, she could have just activated that seal?"

Neji blinked.

"But she didn't. She didn't want your so-called 'destiny' of being born into different sides of the clan to dictate your fight. She overturned fate and you punished her for it." Neji did not respond. "Just something to think about."

The last of the flames died out, revealing Naruto and Neji's position to the audience. Genma strolled over to the two, sidestepping the still-hot ashes. After a moment, he raised his arm to the crowd and announced, "The winner: Uzumaki Naruto!"

For a moment, silence washed over the crowd. Then, like a spark to kindling, applause burst from the stands, waves upon waves of cheers crashing back and forth in a tumultuous storm of congratulation. Naruto gazed eyes wide at the crowd, as if he had forgotten they were there until just then. As his brain registered the audience's reaction, a grin as wide as he'd ever had appeared on his face and he started circling the arena, waving with equal parts appreciation and celebration as the medics retrieved Neji.

Suddenly, Naruto felt a hand on his shoulder. He stopped in his tracks and turned to find Sasuke wearing a grin. _He sure got here fast..._ Naruto noted.

"Hey," said Sasuke. "Think you've done enough celebrating?"

"I think I deserve it!" Naruto replied. "I kicked some major ass, after all."

"It wasn't a bad match. But watch close and I'll show you how it's done."

"Make sure you don't lose," said Naruto, turning towards the stands. "You better make it through so I can beat you in the next round." Sasuke didn't respond, instead giving a halfhearted wave. _Still, _Naruto mused, running up the side of the wall, _he just saw me defeat Neji, who was way stronger than even Sasuke was a month ago, and he didn't seem impressed. What's he got up his sleeve that he's _that_ confident?_

As he rose over the stadium wall, Naruto's pensiveness was broken by another wave of cheers and congratulations from Hinata, Kiba, Chouji, Shikamaru, Guy, and even Sakura. So great was their reaction that Naruto was for a moment too stunned to respond. "Uh... hey guys!" he said, snapping out of it, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "What's up?"

"You did it, Naruto-kun!" cried Hinata and she practically flew out of her chair and embraced Naruto tight as she could, stunning him again. Soon after, he returned the hug. "You really did it," she said quietly.

"Yeah..." muttered Naruto.

"Oh, get a room, you two!" Kiba said playfully. It was enough to trigger Hinata's embarrassment instinct and she extracted herself from Naruto quick as lightning, blushing and fidgeting wildly. Naruto had not apparently understood the undertones of Kiba's remarks, Hinata noted thankfully. "Seriously though, good job, Naruto," Kiba continued, flashing his fangs. "I don't feel so lousy about losing to you anymore."

"Yeah, that was really cool!" agreed Chouji. "Bet it took a lot of out of you. Want some of my chips?" As he offered the bag, the significance was not lost on Naruto, who retrieved one chip. The bag was retracted immediately.

"It was a solid, well-thought out strategy," Shikamaru remarked. "You're not as dumb as you look, you know."

"Splendid! A match radiating with youth!" roared Guy, gesticulating madly with each syllable. "Right, Lee?"

Lee blinked, as if previously that anyone knew he was there. His head facing the ground, Lee's thoughts pounded his mind over and over in a cacophonous fugue. _He beat Neji. Naruto-kun defeated Neji, who I wanted to defeat. Neji, who I could never beat. Naruto-kun, with hard work, beat Neji, a genius who I could not ever beat no matter how hard I worked, no matter how many times I tried, but Naruto-kun defeated him... _Lee's arm shakily rose, moving with the resistance of a rusty lever, finally stopping as it came parallel with the ground. After a second, his hand curled into a thumbs-up and Lee whipped his gaze at Naruto. "Well done, Naruto-kun!" he said joyously, his grin catching a sparkle of sunlight. "A splendid match indeed!" No one noticed the blood pooling around the knuckles of his other hand as he gripped the crutch as if for life.

"You were amazing, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, finally managing to recapture her voice. "I'm so proud of you."

The pause after her comment signaled the end of the praise parade. "Thanks," said Naruto, taking advantage of the silence. "Thanks, everyone. But I'm not done yet. There are a lot of matches left."

"That's right," said Kakashi, smiling one-eyed. "You'll have to face whoever wins this next match. But," he placed his hand on Naruto's head, mussing his hair. "You really did well. You've earned the right to feel some satisfaction."

Kakashi's words struck a deep chord in Naruto and he gave a small, laughing smile, which was matched by Hinata. A sudden shriek from Sakura brought them out of this state. "Sasuke-kun's match is starting!"

Naruto turned to focus on the battlefield. _I dunno how strong you've gotten, Sasuke,_ he thought, _but be careful._

Hinata watched as well, quickly activating her Byakugan. She zeroed in on Sasuke's neck and to her relief found that the mark he'd gained in the forest was now sequestered from the rest of his body, bound by his own chakra. Immediately after, she shut her eye power off, not wanting to see Gaara's chakra again...

"Sasuke-kun's incredible!" said Sakura gleefully as Sasuke kicked Gaara straight in the face.

"He's moving... just like me..." muttered Lee, staring wide-eyed at the battlefield.

_It's rather impressive. But will it be enough? _thought Hinata. With all that had happened, it was hard to believe that it had only been five weeks since they had first encountered Gaara...

…

"_Excuse me," said a voice behind them. "Might you be Konoha genin?" _

_They turned to see two people: a boy dressed in all black wearing makeup and a blonde girl holding what appeared to be a giant fan. "What's it to you, ugly?" said Konohamaru. _

_Kankurou smiled. "Well, I just thought we'd have some fun before our leader arrives..." He gestured and Konohamaru suddenly went tumbling forward, stopping as Kankurou caught his collar._

"_Konohamaru!" yelled Naruto. _

What did he just do?_ Hinata wondered._

"_It's not very nice to call people ugly," said Kankurou, bringing his grinning face to Konohamaru's. "It makes a bad impression, you see."_

_Naruto rushed forwards, fist raised. Kankurou twisted his hand and Naruto immediately fell flat on his ass. "Naruto-kun!" squeaked Hinata, running to his side. _He did it again! _she noted. "Are you okay?"_

"_Thing is," Kankurou continued, clenching his free hand. "I hate midgets, especially little rude ones. Makes me want to kill them."_

"_What?" shouted Naruto, picking himself up._

_Next to Kankurou, Temari shrugged. "Not like I'm involved," she muttered._

"_You bastard!" Naruto roared._

Not good, _thought Hinata._

"_After I'm done with this one, I'll handle the other annoying midget," said Kankurou, raising his fist. _

"_Hey!" Naruto charged at him._

_Before Kankurou could strike, however, a rock pelted his hand, forcing him to relinquish Konohamaru. Kankurou turned to the origin of the stone an saw Sasuke sitting atop a tree branch. "Ah... another guy to piss me off."_

"_Get lost," Sasuke replied coolly._

"_Naruto-niichan... you suck," accused Konohamaru as Moegi and Udon fawned over Sasuke._

"_No, dummy, I could totally take that guy!" Naruto attempted to console Konohamaru, who remained unconvinced. _

"_Hey punk, get down here," ordered Kankurou, removing the item on his back. "I hate show-offs like you the most." _

"_Are you going to use Karasu?" asked Temari, concerned._

"_Kankurou, stop," came a command from the leaves behind Sasuke. Hanging upside down behind him was Gaara of the Desert. "You're an embarrassment to our village." _

"_G-gaara," muttered Kankurou, forcing a smile. _

"_Losing yourself in a fight. How pathetic. Did you forget why we came to Konoha?"_

"_Listen, Gaara, they started it!" Kankurou pointed at Naruto and the others. _

"_It appears we arrived early," said Gaara, appearing on the ground in a swirl of sand, "but we didn't come to play around."_

"_I know that..." _

"_Let's go..."_

_Hinata wanted to say something, but she had activated her Byakugan when Gaara had appeared behind Sasuke. When she gazed upon his chakra, a sense of incredible unease overtook her. His chakra was a bright red and something about its brightness, the way it flowed, undulating throughout Gaara's chakra network like dark laughter... _It's just like Naruto-kun's red chakra,_ she realized. _No... it's worse; _so _much worse. _Whereas Naruto's red chakra seemed to emanate from within him, Gaara's chakra covered him like a shroud – no, like a second skin – and the gourd on his back was inundated with it. _

"_Hey," said Sasuke. "What's your name?"_

"_Huh? You mean me?" asked Temari._

"_No, the guy with the gourd."_

"_Sasuke-kun, I don't think this is a good idea..." muttered Hinata, still nervous from what she had seen. _

_After a moment, Gaara answered, "Gaara of the Desert. And you are?"_

"_Uchiha Sasuke."_

"_Hey! What about me?" Naruto chimed in, eager._

"_Naruto-kun..." Hinata felt like she was being ignored again. The lump in her throat prevented her from raising her voice._

"_Not interested. Let's go," said Gaara and the three Sand shinobi left Naruto to sulk with Konohamaru._

Those three, especially that Gaara, are bad news, _Hinata decided. _I hope we never have to face them...

…

"Sasuke-kun..." Hinata uttered quietly. Gaara had retreated into a sphere of sand after taking a quick pounding from Sasuke. Against her better judgment, Hinata activated her Byakugan, peered into to the sand shell.

What she saw made her want to vomit. The chakra surrounding Gaara had begun churning, amplifyng and concentrating itself, becoming darker, more sinister than before, radiating murderous intent aimed right at Sasuke. It was as if the chakra itself were alive, giddy at the prospect of killing its opponent. "Kakashi-sensei!" she gasped.

Kakashi turned. He had just been explaining to Guy how Sasuke had mastered such quick footwork in less than a month. "Hm?"

"You have to stop this match," she told him with as urgent a tone as she could muster as Sasuke attempted to strike Gaara's shell. "Sasuke-kun is going to die."

"What are you talking about?" asked Naruto.

"That chakra... it's not normal," she continued, shivering. "_He's_ not a normal shinobi. I can feel it." She wanted to tell Kakashi that it was just like Naruto's red chakra, but couldn't in Naruto's presence. "All he wants right now is to kill Sasuke-kun."

Kakashi blinked, then settled into a smile. "Don't worry, Hinata," he said placidly.

"But..."

"Sasuke is well equipped to handle himself. Just watch." He gestured to the arena, where Sasuke had run up the highest wall. "You'll be surprised. You see, the reason I trained Sasuke," Sasuke began generating electricity from his hand, "is that Sasuke is the same type as I am."

Sasuke began to rush down the wall.

* * *

><p>It had all happened so fast, Hinata would later think. Sasuke's strike, that awful arm extending from the sand cocoon, the mass genjutsu and the attack had all happened within a few minutes. Now apparently Sasuke had begun chasing after Gaara. "Hinata," said Kakashi, covered in enemy blood while standing atop the stand's railing, "Your Byakugan let you see through the genjutsu. Sakura, I assume Kurenai is the one who taught you how to dispel Genjutsu." The girl next to Hinata nodded. "Good. When I give the order, wake up Naruto and Shikamaru."<p>

"What about Kiba and Chouji?" asked Hinata.

"No. A four-man cell will be enough. Any more and you'll be slowed down. Naruto will be happy... for the first time since the Wave country, I'm giving you an A-rank mission."

Hinata gulped, then nodded. "What is the mission?"

"Sasuke is in pursuit of Gaara and the other two from the Sand. Once Shikamaru and Naruto are awake, use your Byakugan to track down Sasuke and take him to a safe location." He gave Sakura a gesture. "Sakura, do it."

"B-but," sputtered Sakura, "You saw how strong those guys are. Are you sure we can really handle it?"

"You are shinobi of Konoha. Your duty is to follow this mission," Kakashi replied. "But for the record, yes. I believe you can do this."

* * *

><p>"Are we close to Sasuke-kun?" asked Sakura as they hopped through the trees.<p>

"We're gaining on him," Hinata answered, gauging the distance with her Byakugan. "But he's got a significant lead." Only a few months ago she wouldn't have been able to see this far. The training was paying off.

"Can you still see Shikamaru?" asked Naruto.

Hinata focused behind her as much as she could. "... No, we're too far. Last I saw, he was holding steady, though..." _I hope he's okay._

"When we find Sasuke-kun, he'll help us go back and rescue him!" Sakura declared.

Just then, Hinata blinked. "He's stopped."

"What? Did Gaara stop too?" asked Naruto.

"No... Gaara and the girl went on ahead. That Kankurou guy stayed behind... Looks like he's going to fight Sasuke-kun."

"Alright, double-time!" Naruto yelled, boosting his speed. Hinata and Sakura followed suit.

When they caught up a few minutes later, it appeared that Sasuke had just managed to wrap a steel cord around Kankurou. He turned upon noticing their arrival. "Naruto. Hinata." He greeted each with a nod.

"Sasuke!" Naruto replied.

"You beat him already? Wow, Sasuke-kun, you're incredible!" squealed Sakura, apparently unfazed by Sasuke's lack of recognition.

"Beat me?" Kankurou laughed. "You think it'd be that simple?" As his fingers twitched, the cord suddenly snapped and he broke free. "Not likely."

"You guys handle him," Sasuke directed, turning away from them. "I've got a mission to complete."

"Wait!" Naruto called, but Sasuke had already run off. With his new speed, he was out of sight in seconds. "Damn him!"

"Naruto-kun. Sakura-san." Hinata assumed a fighting stance. "Gaara hasn't changed direction. Follow Sasuke-kun."

"But what about you?" asked Sakura.

"I'll handle him," she said, resolute. "Now go. If you move fast, you can still catch Sasuke-kun."

"Right," said Naruto. "Be careful, okay?"

"Don't worry. I'm one of Kakashi-sensei's students too, you know," she added with a smile.

"You'll 'handle' me." Kankurou grinned as Naruto and Sakura bounded off to follow Sasuke. "You, the little girl that got beaten down by her cousin, is going to 'handle' me. You can't protect yourself. How do you expect to protect your friends?" He raised his arms and suddenly the puppet behind him rose up and jettisoned two knives coated in some sort of liquid at Naruto and Sakura. Kankurou's grin was erased as Hinata flung two shuriken at the knives, deflecting them.

"I'm not scared of you," said Hinata, expression hardened. "And I may just be a little girl, but I'm not the one playing with a doll." She suppressed her shock at the fact that that line had come out of her mouth. It did help to calm her nerves, though. Maybe Naruto was having more of an effect on her than she realized.

Kankurou scowled. "You'll regret letting your friends go by the time I'm done with you," he said and dropped a smoke grenade. When the smoke cleared, he was gone. _That Byakugan's gonna be troublesome,_ he thought, hiding in a bush. _My only choice is to get her with Karasu before she can get to me. _He directed Karasu to attack Hinata, who dodged his strikes. _She can't read the puppet's movements,_ he realized with a grin. Seeing an opening, he lifted his arm to deliver the killing blow, but his elbow was suddenly caught. Turning, he saw Hinata standing behind him. "What? How?" he asked, eyes wide.

She pointed towards Karasu, who had stabbed at what Kankurou thought was Hinata. Kankurou saw Karasu's blade penetrating through Hinata's back, but with no blood or even a reaction. "When you threw your smoke bomb, I created a _bunshin_ and simply followed you. You couldn't escape my Byakugan." She relinquished his elbow. "Release control of the puppet and I'll be on my way." Kankurou obliged and Karasu fell to the floor in a heap, its head tumbling off his shoulders. "Good," she said and turned her back to Kankurou.

Kankurou grinned and flung his hand forward. "I didn't realize Konoha shinobi were _this_ naive!" Karasu's head flew towards Hinata, blade extended. Hinata turned immediately and threw a shuriken at the head. Kankurou tilted his fingers and the head dodged. "Goodbye, little girl!" he bellowed. Suddenly, the head began spinning and fell with a thud at Hinata's feet. Kankurou sat, dumbfounded. "Huh?"

"You have never faced the Hyuuga, have you?" said Hinata, placing her foot on Karasu's head. "I could see the strings connecting you to your toy. You probably thought I was aiming that shuriken at its head. I charged it with my chakra to cut the threads." She dug her foot into the puppet head, crushing it into wooden shards. "I'm sorry, but I don't have time to sit by and play with you. Maybe it does make me naïve, but I really would have been willing to let you go." With swift fluidity, she landed a volley of blows on Kankurou, incapacitating him instantaneously.

She pinpointed the location of her friends and resumed her chase. _Wait for me, Sakura-san, Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun... I'm on my way._

Meanwhile, Naruto had managed to deflect Gaara's charge at Sasuke while Sakura tackled Sasuke out of the way. "Are you okay, Sasuke-kun?" asked Sakura, trying to help him up.

"Get off of me. I'm fine," Sasuke barked, jumping to his feet. "I didn't need either of you to help."

"Real grateful," said Naruto. "But... this looks pretty bad. What the hell is that thing?"

"It's Gaara, you moron," said Sasuke, jumping to stand next to Naruto. "I managed to hit him with a second Chidori, but it looks like that's the only thing that'll do any damage."

"_That's_ Gaara?" said Naruto, disgusted. "Geez, I'd hate to see what he looked like before you hit him."

"W-we should run," said Sakura, nervous. "If Sasuke-kun wasn't able to take care of him, then-"

"Absolutely not," Sasuke growled. "I'm gonna beat him. Stay out of my way." _I have one more _Chidori_ left. If I can just get an opening..._

"Idiot! You can't take him by yourself!" yelled Naruto.

Gaara let out a rumbling laugh. "She's right, you know," he said. "You really _should _run. Not that it will stop any of your deaths." He jumped from a branch at the group. "You're first, Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Sasuke-kun, watch out!" shrieked Sakura. Sasuke's Sharingan barely allowed him to dodge.

Gaara veered, heading towards Sakura. "I suppose _you're _first, then," he hissed, raising a tremendous sand claw.

"Sakura-chan!" called Naruto.

Suddenly, Gaara was knocked off course by a blow to his flank. As he crashed into a tree, the others turned to look at the attacker. Hinata landed next to Sakura, panting lightly. _That was close..._ she thought.

"Hinata!" called Naruto and Sasuke simultaneously.

"Hinata... you saved me," muttered Sakura, as if saying it made it real. "Thank you, I-"

"Don't mention it," Hinata interrupted, deactivating her Byakugan to relax for a second. "We have other things to worry about. Where's the other one?"

"Eh?" Sakura blinked. "Oh... I don't know, she wasn't here when we arrived."

"Hinata, are you okay?" asked Naruto as he and Sasuke jumped to her and Sakura.

"I'm fine, thank you, Naruto-kun." Hinata nodded. "I take it that's Gaara?"

"Well, that makes you smarter than Naruto," Sasuke quipped. "Not that that's much of an achievement."

"And I take it that he won't let us go?" Hinata continued, hoping to avoid an indignant outburst from Naruto.

"Two for two," Sasuke answered.

"I see." Hinata bit her lower lip. "What's the plan?"

"The _plan_ is that you three get out and I'll take care of him," said Sasuke flatly.

"Cut that out!" Naruto raged. "This isn't the time for you to steal the spotlight!"

"I'm not stealing the spotlight," Sasuke barked back. "I'm the only one who can-"

"You'll pay for that!" came Gaara's roar.

It sent a chill down Hinata's spine and she burst out, "_Stop fighting_, please! Listen, I have an idea. We just-"

With another grunt from Gaara, a wave of sand rushed at Hinata, sweeping her off the branch and pinning her to another tree. "One down," he sneered.

"Hinata!" Naruto yelled again. "Shit! What do we do now?"

Eyes darting around, Sasuke called, "Sakura!"

Sakura snapped out of her stupor. "Eh? What?"

"You work on getting Hinata out of there. Naruto and I will keep him busy. When you get her free, you take her and _run,_ okay?"

"R-right!" She jumped towards Hinata.

"You ready?" Sasuke asked Naruto.

Naruto was shocked for a moment that Sasuke had addressed him. He glanced first at Hinata, then at Gaara. _This guy... he's got that look in his eyes..._ With a serious expression, he replied, "Definitely."

"It's useless, you know," said Gaara, generating even more sand on his body. "That girl won't be able to free her."

"He's right," called Sakura, trying now to cut through the detached claw with a kunai. "I can't get through; the sand's too thick!"

"The only way to free her will be to kill me," Gaara taunted. "And that is impossible."

Hinata, still fully conscious, wanted to reply, to make it known that she wasn't dying, but the sand was covering her mouth, though thankfully not her nose. She wasn't beyond admitting that it was painfully tight, however. Since she couldn't respond, she thought it best to play possum and try to escape, though that would be no mean feat. Eyes still closed, she reactivated her Byakugan, trying to look for a weakness in the sand while ignoring the horribleness of the chakra surrounding her. _Let's see if he notices this..._ she thought, testing the water by using chakra to push at the sand surrounding her left hand. Gaara seemed unfazed. _Good sign._

"Alright," said Sasuke. "Naruto, summon that toad again. Maybe that water jutsu will clump up his sand a little."

"Got it. What will you do?"

"I can do _Chidori _one more time. Get me an opening and I'll take his head off. Even he can't survive that."

"Okay, here goes!" Naruto bit his thumb, formed the seals, and planted his hand into the ground. After a burst of smoke, Gamahide stood atop the branch, hand at the hilt of his katana. "Huh? Where's Gamatarou?" asked Naruto.

"Recovering," answered Gamahide easily. "I'm here in his place."

"Crap," Naruto grumbled. "Well, whatever. Good enough!"

"Roger!"

Naruto planted his hand on the toad's back. _"Suiton: Mizudeppou!"_ After a moment, a blob of spit burbled out of Gamahide's mouth. "What the hell was that?" Naruto asked, shocked.

"You were synced with Gamatarou," Gamahide answered. "Not me."

"You mean that only works with one frog at a time?" Naruto shrieked. Gamatarou shrugged. "You've gotta be kidding me! What a worthless trick!

"_Take this!" _roared Gaara, sending sand shuriken hurtling at them. Naruto and Sasuke dodged while Gamahide blocked with his armor and deflected with his sword.

Recovering, Naruto steadied himself. "Agh, you might as well get out of here. I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

Despite having no eyebrows of which to speak, Gamahide made the equivalent expression of raising them. "What? But... I'm here to fight for you."

"Yeah, but you'd just end up getting injured. Better to keep you safe."

Gamahide blinked. "As you wish." He clasped his hands together and disappeared.

"That was less than useless," said Sasuke. "Any other moves?"

"Just the old standard. _Tajuu kagebunshin no jutsu!" _A horde of Naruto copies appeared and all leapt at Gaara.

"_Fuuton: Mugensajin – Daitoppa (Wind Release: Infinite Sand Cloud – Great Breakthrough)!" _Roared Gaara, blasting Naruto and the clones with a wave of wind and sand. "You don't have to die so quickly," sneered Gaara as Naruto steadied himself. "You could run and let your comrades die before you. Who knows? You may even get away." He buffeted Naruto with another volley of sand shuriken. "It's unlikely, though."

Hinata, meanwhile, continued to struggle against her restraint. She'd managed to find a weakness between the fingers of the claw. Boring through the sand was taking a considerable toll on her, but the more room she made, the easier it got. Her heart thumped hard as she saw Naruto be hurt repeatedly, but she stayed focused on her task. _Just a little more..._

"Is that all you've got?" Gaara asked. "You came all the way out here to get me and now you're not fighting? I'm going to kill the girl if you don't attack."

Sasuke gritted his teeth. He didn't want to let Naruto keep getting pounded, but he could sense that Gaara was on guard. _I can't use Chidori if it's not a killing blow. I can't... _He closed his eyes and saw blood, saw despair, saw a man with death in his eyes and felt the crushing weight of the solitude inflicted upon him.

He opened his eyes.

_Never again. _"Hey!" called Sasuke, leaping at Gaara, who turned to face him directly. "_I'm_ your opponent, remember?"

Baring his fangs, Gaara chuckled and swiped at Sasuke, whose shirt was torn while evading Gaara's attack. Sasuke continued to duck and dive, throwing quickly deflected kunai at Gaara. "Is dodging all you can do?" Gaara asked. Sasuke did not respond.

At the tree, Hinata noticed the sand had loosened, perhaps from Sasuke's distraction. "I'm sorry," Sakura sobbed, pounding at the sand, her hands red from her attempts to dig Hinata out. "I'm so sorry, Hinata, it's just too tough. You saved me, and I can't save you, I can't do it... Please forgive me..."

_Poor Sakura-san,_ thought Hinata, redoubling her efforts. _Well, maybe poor _me,_ since I'm the one being crushed by sand. Maybe, anyway. _With one great surge of chakra, she forced a hole in the sand, punched her hand through, and used the substitution technique to put a log in her place as she pulled herself out.

"Hinata!" Sakura squeaked, surprised. "Thank goodness, you're-"

"Shh!" Hinata lifted her right finger to her lips while she flexed her left hand, trying to ease its exhaustion. "I don't think he's noticed I'm not trapped anymore." She pointed at the log being crushed by the claw in her stead. "This is the perfect time for us to strike."

"What? Are you joking? Look at that thing, there's no way we can defeat that! We should just get the boys and run!"

Hinata drew a deep breath. "You can go if you like. But I'm going to stay. They want to fight and so do I. I..." She cracked her knuckles. "will _never_ let my comrades die."

Sakura watched as Hinata left to join the fight.

Gaara, meanwhile, closed in on Sasuke. "It's over!" he roared, swinging his massive claw.

"Not yet!" came Hinata's voice. "_Hakkeshou Kaiten!" _As she dove between Sasuke and Gaara, the force of her attack dispersed the sand, reducing the claw to a stump.

"You again!" Gaara barked. "But how?" He looked back to where he had trapped her and snarled, "Clever girl. You're more than I thought you were."

"Hinata, you're okay!" Naruto exclaimed, landing next to his comrades.

"I am, thanks to you two." She gave him a sidelong smile. "Sasuke-kun, you should be able to see. The sand at his joints is the loosest because it has to move the most." Sasuke had been too distracted by Gaara's sheer might to notice, but Hinata was right. There were structural weaknesses. "Focus your attacks there. He may be strong, but he doesn't have the Byakugan: he can't see everywhere at once. We just have to be where he isn't looking. Let's show him all the teamwork we've learned over these past several months."

"Right," Naruto and Sasuke agreed at the same time.

"Ready? Go!" The three dispersed, Naruto and Sasuke taking Gaara's sides while Hinata swooped underneath to take his back. To her dismay, Gaara chose to follow her._ Now is not the time to be afraid,_ she decided, taking her fighting stance. _Here he comes._

"You, who cares so much for her comrades, should die quickest!" Gaara hurled sand at her in a wave.

"_Kaiten!" _she cried, but found it much more difficult to repel the second time. _I guess the force of the blow is greater when he's actually aiming at me. _

"Leave her alone!" yelled Naruto as Hinata spun, sending five _kagebunshin_ to attack Gaara.

Hinata suddenly noticed that Gaara's claw had not reformed itself. Had it been because he simply wasn't bothering? _Maybe..._ She looked around at the sand that had dispersed: the concentration of Gaara's dark chakra had lessened and was slowly rebuilding. _That's it!_ "Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun! If you hit the sand with your chakra, he'll lose control of it for a few seconds!"

"Got it!" Sasuke called back. As Gaara attacked Naruto, two steel wires, the ends held in Sasuke's mouth, wrapped tightly around each of his shoulders. "_Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique)!"_ A stream of fire ran along the wires. Naruto took the opportunity to land a few punches on Gaara's face.

Gaara smothered both fires within seconds, but sure enough, the chakra within the fire destabilized the chakra in the sand and Gaara's sand arms began sliding off, forcing Gaara to replace them with fresh sand. "You are all _annoying!" _growled Gaara.

"Replacing that sand's gotta throw his focus off," said Sasuke, dodging a swipe from Gaara. "If we keep forcing him to regenerate those sand limbs, we'll keep him on edge. We can do this."

"Yeah! Let's kick his ass!" said Naruto, fist in the air.

The three fought in sync, like the beats in a beautiful combat waltz, never letting Gaara steady himself and attacking in a steady rhythm. Though exhaustion bit at their heels, they persevered, knowing that as long as they fought together, they would be victorious.

Or so they thought.

"_Enough of this!" _Gaara roared in the middle of an attack. "I'm not playing with you anymore. I'm going to kill all of you _right now!" _Chakra began swirling around him and the sand bulged out, becoming larger and larger until he towered over them, over the whole forest. "This is the end!" he declared in a booming voice.

"How the hell do we stop something like that?" said Naruto, astonished.

"I... d-don't..." stammered Hinata.

Sasuke merely gaped, stunned by fear.

Gaara's massive right claw took Hinata between its index and pointer fingers so quickly Hinata couldn't even react. Sand began collecting around her ankles.

"Ahh... no, no, no," she whispered, trying to escape, but it was no use. She was already bound.

"Stop!" yelled Naruto, launching himself and his _bunshin _at Gaara, who slapped them away effortlesly.

Suddenly, a kunai flew into Gaara's sand armor, an exploding tag around its hilt. It detonated, sending a piece of his sand arm falling. "Let her go!" cried Sakura on her knees, her arm still in the post-throw position.

"A pointless distraction," said Gaara, firing a stream of sand at Sakura and regaining his focus on Hinata. _"Sabaku Kyuu (Sand Binding Coffin)!"_

"Naruto-kun... help me..." she whimpered, hyperventilating as the sand enveloped more of her body.

_I could get her out of there,_ thought Sasuke. _But I'd have to use my last Chidori, and I wouldn't be able to kill him. But she's..._

"Don't do it!" Naruto cried, attempting another assault, only to be repelled.

Sasuke's eyes darted back and forth between Hinata and Gaara. _I have to kill him, but she's in danger, but it's my last shot, and I..._

"_Sabaku sousou (Sand Waterfall Funeral)!" _The sand tightened around her body.

"_Chidori!" _cried Sasuke, tunneling through the sand, grasping Hinata, and pulling her out, much to her surprise.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," Hinata gasped. "I thought...I thought..."

"Don't thank me yet," said Sasuke. "That was all I had left and we're still stuck with him."

"I was going to make it quick," Gaara bellowed. "But now... I think I will take my time." The sand collected around Hinata again, pushing Sasuke away.

"Hinata!" Sasuke called as he was being pulled by the sand.

"So pathetic. So weak." Instead of wrapping completely around her, Gaara's sand took her by her forearms and shins, making her go spread eagle. "So... breakable."

With a twitch of his finger, the sand around Hinata's left arm twisted, snapping the bone like a twig. She howled in agony.

"_No!"_ Naruto roared, moving like lightning and literally ripping the sand off of her. Around the darkness of her eyesight, she could see the red chakra overake him, his whiskers thick and his eyes the color of blood.

_Oh no..._ she thought, her mind still swimming with pain as Naruto set her down with gentleness that betrayed his rage.

"Stay here. Sasuke, take care of her. I'm going to go kill him," he growled.

"Naruto-kun, wait-" she muttered weakly, but Naruto was already gone. She struggled to remain conscious, biting at her good hand until it bled to distract from the greater pain.

_What is that strength?_ wondered Sasuke as he tended to Hinata. _Is that really Naruto?_

Sasuke watched as Naruto raced up Gaara's arms. Every time Gaara would attempt to bind Naruto, Naruto would just tear through the sand as if it were tissue. Eventually Gaara tried to simply squash Naruto with his enormous claw, but Naruto simply tunneled through it.

At last, Naruto made it to the top of the creature Gaara had made. "You've given me no choice." He clasped his hands together. "_Tanuki Neirei no ju-"_

Naruto was on him before he could complete the technique, slamming him in the stomach with an uppercut so hard it generated a shock wave through the sand itself. Gaara attempted a sand shield as Naruto attacked again, but Naruto charged through, this time hitting Gaara with a two-fisted hammer blow that sent Gaara into the sand. Sand came flowing out of the hole to bind Naruto once more. Naruto simply dove through it as if it were water and pulled Gaara out, holding him by the shirt with one hand and decking him with the other. _What is this? _Gaara wondered through the heavy blows. _Where does he get so much strength!_

The tanuki itself began to shrink as Gaara devoted more and more sand to defense, using mass amounts of sand to futilely pull at Naruto's arm while he swung. "No more!" Naruto growled. "_No more! _Just _stop already, damn it!" _The next blow sent Gaara careening down through the tanuki. He emerged at the bottom end, the momentum still carrying him, and he flopped on the ground, limp. The tanuki crumbled, returning to inanimate sand.

"I won't... disappear..." Gaara gurgled, his face bloody as Naruto approached him. "My existence... will not disappear!"

"Listen," Naruto growled, picking Gaara up by the throat. "I understand your pain. Being alone is... the worst feeling in the world. I understand that more than you know. But I... I have people who are precious to me now. So if you try to hurt them, I'll..." his fist began shaking. "I'll..."

"Why?" Gaara managed to choke out. "Why do you go so far for them, when you are so strong?"

"They're the reason I'm strong," Naruto answered and his eyes changed color slightly, becoming softer. "They're the people I love, who saved me from the hell of being lonely. They're all important to me."

"Naruto-kun!" came Hinata's voice. Naruto looked over his shoulder to see her running towards him with her arm in a makeshift sling, Sasuke and Sakura trailing behind her. "It's over, Naruto-kun," she told him, breathless. "It's over... you can put him down. Please..."

Naruto looked at Gaara's bruised face, then at Hinata's worried one. "... Okay," he said, tossing Gaara on the ground. "You know... suddenly, I feel really, really tired." He tipped backwards and fell flat on his back.

Hinata's concerned expression turned to a soft smile. "It's okay," she said, looking at Gaara and placing her good hand on Naruto's forehead. "You did it."

His hand clutched hers. He smiled. "No. We all did it, together. As a team."

"Yes..." A light blush overtook her cheeks. "Rest now, Naruto-kun. You're safe."

* * *

><p>Their sense of victory was short-lived. A few days later, Hinata stood in her black blouse and skirt with her arm in a proper cast at the funeral for the Third Hokage. Next to her, Naruto was comforting the crying Konohamaru. Hinata couldn't help but feel a little lachrymose herself. The Third had always been good to her...<p>

…

"_Excuse me, miss, are you alright?"_

"_H-huh?" Hinata, eight years old, looked up to see the Third Hokage smiling warmly at her. "Oh, H-Hokage-sama! I'm f-fine. Why do you ask?"_

"_Well, it looked to me that all your fellow kunoichi are having fun with their flower arranging and you're sitting here under this tree."_

"_W-well," Hinata stammered. "I-I'm not very g-good at it, and the other g-girls don't like me that m-much."_

"_I see. That's unfortunate. But I think that you, my dear...?" He gave a deliberate pause._

"_Hyuuga H-Hinata," she muttered and added, "S-sir," as a quick afterthought._

"_My dear Hinata, I think that you are like a flower."_

"_R-really?" She tilted her head. "Why d-do you th-think that?"_

_He chuckled. "Come with me, and I'll show you." He offered his hand and Hinata grasped it nervously. He led her to a small patch of flowers partially in the shade of a bush. "Do you think these flowers are beautiful?"_

"_Y-yes," Hinata squeaked._

"_I don't know much about flowers, but I agree. These flowers are lovely when they bloom." He pushed aside the bush to reveal a flower that had no petals, still a mere bud. "Ah, but what's this? A flower that has not yet bloomed. Why do you think that is?"_

"_Um, w-well," Hinata began, afraid she'd answer incorrectly. "It's not in the s-sun like the other f-flowers."_

"_Precisely!" the Third said gleefully, making Hinata jump a little. "It doesn't have that sweet sunlight that makes flowers grow!" With some quick handiwork, he rearranged the bush so that the bud was now in the sunlight. Forming a couple of seals, he touched the bud and to Hinata's surprise, it opened, revealing larger, brighter petals than the other flowers around it._

"_W-wow," Hinata breathed._

"_There, you see? All this little flower needed was to be in a sunny place, and it blossomed marvelously. Just facing the sun a little bit can change everything." He plucked the flower from the earth and gently tucked it into Hinata's hair. "That, little Hinata, is why I say that you are like a flower."_

_Hinata's heart swelled with joy. "Th-thank you, H-Hokage-sama," she squeaked._

"_Don't mention it, my child. I was just saying how I feel. Now, can you do an old man a favor?"_

"_Wh-what is it?"_

"_Can you run along and play with the others?"_

_Hinata gulped. "I c-can try."_

"_That's all I ask," he said, patting her on the head._

_Hinata ran off, feeling fresh as a new flower._

…

_Thank you, Hokage-sama,_ Hinata thought with a wistful smile, wiping a single tear from her cheek. _I'll never forget you._

* * *

><p>And that's that. I'd been planning the Neji and Gaara fights for a looong time. The others, less so, but I hope you got a kick out of them.<p>

There's a bit of a pun on a pun in the last bit: Hinata's name can be read as "facing the sun" or "a sunny place." So, yay, puns.

As always, those who stuck around, please review! Next up: the Slug Princess herself. Got quite a bit of stuff planned for that.


	9. Change

Back yet again! I'm sorry for the increasing frequency of the large gaps between chapters, but I am determined not to give up on this story.

Wow! Over 200 reviews! Thanks to all my wonderful readers for sticking with me. Alright, next story arc, here we go! Trying something different here.

Introduction:

Though her wing is broken, the girl takes flight, for she knows she must fly. Towards the sun, towards het dreams, she soars on the winds of hope.

For it is this girl who knows that if those winds should cease their mighty gusts, she would fall into despair.

* * *

><p>Chapter 9: Change<p>

Sakura walked the streets of Konoha slowly but with purpose. The hour was ripe for this sort of excursion; just past dawn. She was between missions, so on a day like this, she would normally stay in bed, maybe wake up late with some tea and umeboshi and then go pester and/or talk about Sasuke with Ino. In fact, only a week or two ago, she would have done just that.

But today marked the latest in a series of days in which Sakura had woken up early, not rested. This morning, like the past few mornings before it, Sakura had opened her eyes to find herself sweaty and panting, maybe with an accompanying scream. Even ignoring how difficult it had become for her to fall asleep, her dreams had been of late polluted by dark thoughts and memories.

She rapped her knuckles lightly on Yuuhi Kurenai's door. A voice from the other side called, "One moment, please!" and sure enough, the door swung open to reveal Sakura's sensei. "Sakura?"

"Hello, Kurenai-sensei," Sakura greeted quietly.

"What are you doing here? You know we don't have a mission today, right?"

Sakura struggled to muster the words as she drew upon the emotional residue of the past few days. The monstrous beast that Gaara had become was on its own a terrifying sight that she knew would not leave her anytime soon. That sense of her impending death had kept her up despite her exhaustion that night when she finally returned to the village.

But what truly shook Sakura night after night was that sight of Hinata, suspended by the sand, the horrific sound of her bones breaking, and the feeling that there was nothing, _nothing_ Sakura could have done to prevent it.

Kurenai took on a worried expression. "Sakura? Are you okay? You don't look well."

"Kurenai-sensei, I..." She gulped. "That is, when the Sound attack happened, Sasuke-kun, Naruto, Hinata and I chased after that Gaara..."

"I heard," said Kurenai with a motherly smile. "You fought admirably."

"That's the thing, though... I didn't, really." Sakura paused, facing the ground as words began pouring out of her. "Kakashi-sensei's team were the ones who fought them; I wasn't able to do anything. I was useless, I was-"

"Sakura, no one could have expected you to have faced the Shukaku," said Kurenai in a hushing tone.

"B-but they did!" Sakura felt tears trickle down her cheeks as she looked up at her teacher. "They were so brave and so amazing and I just sat there and Hinata almost _died_ because I couldn't do anything! Please, Kurenai-sensei. I need you to help me get stronger. I need you to teach me genjutsu and anything else you can, please. I'm begging you..." She began to sob into her hands.

"Sakura." Kurenai put a gentle hand to the girl's cheek. "It's okay. There's no need to blame yourself. But if you want, I'd definitely be glad to add one-on-one training sessions with you. Just, not today, okay? I've got some plans today that would be a bit troublesome to move around. How about we meet at training ground six tomorrow at nine?"

Sakura wiped her eyes. "Okay," she choked out. She took a deep breath. "Thank you, Kurenai-sensei."

"Don't mention it."

Sakura bowed and took off, eager to reclaim some of her lost sleep. _Next time,_ she thought. _Next time, I promise I'll be able to help._

* * *

><p>Hinata awoke to a pain that was slowly becoming familiar. Taking care not to disturb her left arm, she lifted herself up and, with even further care, set her right foot on the floor. Her right ankle had apparently been sprained during the last battle, something she hadn't realized until they had returned. She hypothesized that the adrenaline from the fight and the pain of her other wounds had distracted her until she had come to the next morning with an intense ache surging through her leg. It was for that reason that she grabbed the crutch that rested on the side of the bed before attempting to stand.<p>

Once she had finished readying herself for the day, she heard a knocking at the door. _People almost always knock when I'm finished dressing. It's very convenient. _"Come in, Ko," she said nonchalantly.

"Actually, it's me, Hinata-sama." The door opened to reveal Neji.

"Oh, Neji-niisan," she said pleasantly "What can I do for you?"

He closed the door behind him. "Well..." he began, trying to think of appropriate small talk preamble, but his urge to cut to the chase overwhelmed him. Without warning, he dropped to his knees and bowed deep. "Hinata-sama, I want to apologize."

Hinata merely gaped at this gesture.

"It is fine if you do not forgive me for what I've done. I understand, but I want you to know that I am truly sorry and will spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

Silence crystallized around them, shattered when Hinata muttered, "Neji-niisan, please lift your head." Neji obliged, surprise plain on his face. "It's okay," she said with a bright smile. "I'm just glad things are back to how they were." Neji could do nothing but blink in stunned silence. His dealings with the rest of his clan had taught him that such forgiveness would not some come so easy, and yet... "Now, could you please pass me my medicine?" She pointed to a small bottle on the dresser: the painkiller the medics had prescribed for her injuries. "If you wouldn't mind, that is."

"Oh, of course," Neji said, nimbly passing Hinata the bottle.

"Thank you." She downed the proper dosage and winced at its bitter flavor. "I suppose it would be too much for them to make medicine that tastes sweet, wouldn't it?"

"I suppose so," said Neji, taking the bottle and replacing it on the dresser. A pause shuffled awkwardly into the room. Neji took a seat alongside Hinata on the bed. "Hinata-sama, I heard that you fought Gaara of the Desert. That's very impressive."

Hinata blushed, her good hand atop her cast on her lap. "Well, to tell the truth, I didn't do much," she said. "It was mainly Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun that did the work. I just got myself hurt, really."

"That's not the word around town," Neji said plainly.

"Is that so..." Hinata muttered.

Ko walked past Hinata's room, stopping for a fraction of a second to peer through the crack in the doorway, and smiled. It had been so long since the two had gotten along, he didn't dare interrupt them and instead made his way to the main training hall, where he found Hiashi standing over Hanabi, who appeared exhausted.

"Again, Hanabi," said Hiashi, arms folded.

"Yes, father," Hanabi panted, slowly rising to her feet.

"Hiashi-sama," Ko greeted with a bow.

"Ko." Hiashi held up a hand to his daughter. "Hanabi, a moment." She nodded and reached for a towel to wipe her forehead. "What do you need?"

"Neji is ready to begin training with you as soon as you are ready. For the moment, he is chatting with Hinata-sama."

Hanabi perked up at the mention of her sister.

"Very well. Is there anything else?"

"No, sir. However, I did hear something earlier today that I thought you may wish to know. Apparently – and again, this is just something I heard – during the invasion of the Sound and the Sand, Hinata-sama and her team fought the Shukaku."

Hiashi's expression did not change. "Hatake Kakashi's team fought the Sand's Jinchuuriki?"

"That would not be inaccurate, but a tad irresponsible to say, Hiashi-sama," Ko offered pleasantly. "Kakashi-san was not present. Hinata-sama and her teammates, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto, defeated the fully manifested Shukaku." He paused. "This is just what I have heard, however."

Hiashi remained silent for the space of three breaths. "I see. Thank you, Ko. You may leave."

"As you wish, Hiashi-sama." Ko bowed once more and continued on his trip through the Hyuuga complex.

Owing partially to their eyes and partially to their customs, the Hyuuga were often hard to read, even among their fellow clansmen. No one exemplified this more than the clan head: Hiashi was a pillar of stony impassivity. But Ko had known him a long time and knew that every change in his manner held meaning. Often times, a lack of words spoke volumes more than simple sentence. It was because of his ability to read Hiashi that a pleased smile appeared on Ko's face.

A similar ability to read her father is what led Hanabi to ask, "What is the Shukaku, father?"

"It is nothing that concerns you at this time, Hanabi. Back to work," Hiashi ordered, gesturing for her to attack.

Hanabi obliged, but still the question danced in her mind. _To put father in such a state... this Shukaku must be something amazing. And my sister fought it..._ Hanabi knew that when the sun set, it would be a very pensive night.

* * *

><p>Hours later, Hinata hobbled her way to Team 7's meeting place. Kakashi had summoned them for a few minutes ago, but she decided to gamble on Kakashi's chronic tardiness for a more leisurely stroll, letting her appreciate the sights of Konoha which, she realized, she had taken for granted before her recent brush with death. All else failed, she could simply say her crutch impeded her travel.<p>

This would be prove to be unnecessary, as Naruto and Sasuke both bore looks of agitation (amazingly not at each other) as she approached and their teacher was nowhere to be found.

"Same as ever, huh?" said Hinata with a light smile, coming to a stop in front of the boys.

"Same as ever," repeated Sasuke flatly, pointedly not looking at either Hinata or Naruto.

Naruto merely grunted his displeasure, then asked, "How're you feeling?"

"Better every day," Hinata replied cheerfully, trying to keep the mood light. "I didn't get it as bad as Lee-kun, after all."

"I just wanted to make some announcements," said Kakashi, appearing in a puff of smoke. "But I should have remembered your injuries and not made you walk so far, Hinata. I apologize."

"Oh, it's no t-trouble," Hinata said with a light blush, remembering her intentional tardiness.

"Either way," Kakashi continued, "Due to said injuries and the general state of the village requiring that I do high-rank missions myself, the three of you are officially on a break. You all performed admirably against the Sand, so I think you deserve it."

"Kakashi-sensei, you should just take us with you! We could totally do those awesome missions together!" Naruto protested. "Plus, you should teach me the Chidori!"

"Ha..." Kakashi gave a halfhearted chuckle, patting Naruto on the head. "Maybe when you're older," he answered, leaving Naruto confused as to which complaint he was addressing. "Anyway, that's all for now. Sasuke, hang back for a moment."

Sasuke shrugged and stepped towards Kakashi while Naruto and Hinata began to wander off. As the split in their paths approached, their eyes met for a moment and without further signal, they chose the route back to the Hyuuga complex. Looking away from each other, they shared a smile.

"I think Kakashi-sensei is favoring Sasuke lately," Naruto muttered after a minute.

"You think so?"

"Yeah! Spending a month training with him, asking to talk to him even when we don't have missions... He glanced in Hinata's direction. "You don't see it?"

"Maybe," she answered simply. "Or maybe Kakashi-sensei just thinks that we make it without him."

"Hmm." Naruto put a hand to his chin. "I hadn't thought of it like that." He began to chuckle. "Stupid Sasuke needs Kakashi-sensei to watch him for a month while you and I get along just fine on our own!"

Hinata's smile brightened by a few degrees and her cheeks reddened an equivalent amount at Naruto's phrasing. "You _did_ have Jiraiya-sama to train you."

"Tch!" Naruto frowned. "Yeah, right. All he did was peep on women, yell at me, and throw me into a spiky goddamn ravine!"

Hinata blinked, double-taking at the last item. "Sorry, what?"

"Training wasn't going well and I passed out so he chucked me into a ravine." Hinata remained silent, figuring more explanation was forthcoming, but Naruto simply shrugged. "It sounds bad, but it let me summon Gamabunta – that giant toad – for the first time."

"I guess that makes sense," Hinata lied. "Do you mind if we stop here for a moment?" She gestured to a nearby bench.

"Sure," said Naruto and Hinata began to set herself down. "Do you need any help?"

"That's alright. Thank you, Naruto-kun," she said, leaning her crutch next to her. As Naruto took a seat, she drew a deep breath, steeling her nerves, and asked, "Naruto-kun, what happened with Gaara?"

"Whaddya mean?"

The memories of Naruto's onslaught on Gaara had been a recurring worry for Hinata. She knew it was foolish to think of it as bad; without it, she would have certainly died. But still... "You... suddenly were able to break through Gaara's sand... and it looked pretty easy."

His expression became somber. "It was."

She looked at him with a look of gentle concern. "How did you do that?" When Naruto didn't reply, she continued, "I know it's not the first time it's happened. With Haku, and with Orochimaru in the forest-"

"You're right," Naruto said with sudden, piercing quietness. "It's..." He paused, unsure how to proceed. "It's something that happens when I get really, really angry." Naruto thought back to the times she'd mentioned. "Like when I thought Haku had killed Sasuke, or when Orochimaru attacked..." He glanced sidelong at Hinata. "Or when I saw Gaara hurt you like that."

Hinata's heart fluttered. After it passed, she asked, "Does it have something to do with the Nine-Tails?" Naruto turned to look at her full on, blue eyes wide. Hinata gulped nervously, the question she'd had on her mind for the last month finally out in the open.

"How do you know about that?" Naruto asked.

Hinata's heart beat faster. "Orochimaru mentioned it in the f-forest and I asked Kakashi-sensei about it at the preliminaries, b-but he didn't really tell me anything..." Naruto's eyes became half-lidded as he faced the ground. Hinata began to sweat, thinking she'd upset him, but she pressed on. "What exactly is the Nine-Tails, Naruto-kun?"

His fists balled. "It's nothing you need to worry about..."

"It is if it's hurting you!" she blurted out, surprising Naruto. "That red chakra is _horrible" _She shuddered in disgust at the memory of it._"_It's like pure hatred and if that's what's taking hold of you..." She felt tears coming on and did her best to suppress them. "Please, Naruto-kun. You can tell me anything."

Something in her plea apparently reached Naruto. "Do you know how the Fourth Hokage died?"

This non-sequitur jarred Hinata enough to make the tears stop pushing. "Huh? N-no, but what does-"

"Isn't that weird?" Naruto interrupted. "Think about it. He died right here in the village, but no one seems to know how he died."

Hinata recalled their history lessons in the academy. The history of the Hokage had been extensively explained, from the devastating battle between the First and Uchiha Madara all the way through Fourth's education under the legendary Jiraiya. But as far as his death was concerned, all they knew was that he gave his life for the village. Whenever someone asked a question about it, it was always avoided, with the word "seal" being dropped occasionally. "It is weird..." Hinata admitted quietly.

"Thirteen years ago, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox attacked our village. A lot of people died," _including Iruka-sensei's parents,_ Naruto remembered Mizuki's words, "So to stop it, the Fourth Hokage sealed it... in me."

"Wh-what?"

Naruto lifted his jacket and undershirt, exposing his abdomen, and began molding chakra. Hinata looked on, confused, until the Four Elements seal made itself visible. "It's sealed inside me. The Third Hokage made a law so that no one could talk about it. I guess when I get mad, its chakra comes out, or something. I don't know how it works." He relinquished his jacket. "That's why all the adults always looked down on me." His eyes closed. "And why I was always alone."

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata whispered, overwhelmed by Naruto's openness. Now that she thought about it, it made sense. Hinata thought people had always treated Naruto harshly, moreso than a simple prankster deserved. She hadn't understood it...

Naruto took on a jaded expression. "So? What about you?" Hinata tiled her head, not understanding. "Do you hate me now that you know I've got the demon that killed the village's hero inside me?" He frowned bitterly, remembering how Mizuki had put it.

"Of course not," Hinata said easily, meeting his expression. "How could I? I know you, Naruto-kun. You love ramen and hate waiting for it to cook. You never go back on your word and you never give up, no matter how hard things get. Your dream is to be Hokage and I know that one day you will be the greatest Hokage of all time." Hinata blushed lightly, not knowing if she was overstepping. It seemed to have an effect on Naruto, as his frown had dissolved, replaced by mouth hanging open. "And if the Nine-Tails is why you're this person who inspires me, who's saved my life... how could I think less of you for it?" Hinata broke eye contact, uncertain she would be able to maintain her composure if she kept looking at him. Her usual blush had already tinted her cheeks significantly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Naruto gaze at her in a way she'd never seen before. He was seeing her with new eyes, as if she were a fresh-bloomed flower he had just noticed. Suddenly, a laugh burbled out of Naruto, startling Hinata. It started as a simple chuckle, then erupted into a full-on belly laugh and by the end of it, Naruto was clutching his sides. "Thanks, Hinata," he said after it subsided, wiping a tear from his eye. "That was really... just, thanks. It's like you always know what to say."

She giggled. "You're welcome, Naruto-kun. Anytime."

Naruto put his arms above his head. "Ahh, I feel great now!" He sprang from the bench, landing like a gymnast. "You wanna get moving? I've got a lot of energy all of a sudden."

"Sure," said Hinata, grabbing her crutch.

"Here, let me help," said Naruto, offering a hand.

Hinata grasped it, smiling as she pulled herself up. "Thank you."

They resumed their walk down the path. After a moment, he piped up, "I talked to it, you know. The Nine-Tails"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, when Pervy Sage threw me into the ravine." He made abstract gestures, attempting to solidify his thoughts. "I don't really know how to describe it, but I guess I went... inside myself? I saw the big monster and I told him, 'Gimme some of your chakra or else!'"

Hinata put her hand over her mouth, feigning a gasp. "You didn't!"

"I did," Naruto answered with a smug grin. "The Fox was so scared her gave me his chakra for free and I summoned Gamabunta!"

"Wow," said Hinata with a bit of over-embellishment. "You talked down the Nine-Tailed Fox itself."

"Yup! I'm pretty awesome, aren't I?"

"I've always thought so," Hinata said with a blush. Naruto grinned sheepishly and the two continued along their way. At last, they arrived back at the Hyuuga Complex gates, where Ko waited dutifully as ever. Hinata and Naruto stopped while still out of earshot. "This is my stop," said Hinata. She drew a deep breath. "Uhm, Naruto-kun?" she asked quietly.

"What?"

"I know the Nine-Tails is strong," she said, facing the ground. "But... you're stronger." Her eyes met his and a small smile adorned her features. "Don't forget that, okay?"

Naruto nodded. "I won't."

"Good." Hinata gave a small wave with her working hand. "I'll see you later, Naruto-kun," she said and began crutching her way toward the gate.

Naruto returned the gesture, turning to head towards his own home. _Don't worry, Hinata,_ he thought, hand over the Nine-Tails seal. _I'll never hurt you. No matter what. _A growl emanated from his stomach. _I could go for some ramen._

Hinata, meanwhile, returned her crutch to its place beside her bed and gently laid herself down, allowing the events of the few hours to percolate in her mind. No missions for a while meant she would have a lot of free time, but what was there to do? A wounded arm and leg meant that training was a bust, with the exception of training her Byakugan. She'd have a lot of time for that...

_The Nine-Tailed Fox is sealed inside Naruto-kun._

At last, Hinata felt the true magnitude of that fact. It was staggering, really, the idea that her teammate, best friend and, well, _something more, _held within him a beast that killed the Fourth Hokage, who was heralded as a shinobi of unrivaled power. _It must be a terrible burden,_ she thought. And what did it imply about Gaara? His chakra had been eerily similar to the Nine-Tails'. He _had_ created (or perhaps unleashed) a giant sand monster, though it only had one tail. Was he like Naruto as well?

Hinata sighed, closing her eyes. She wished there were someone she could talk to about it, but her options were painfully limited. Kakashi obviously knew. Most likely the other adults did, Hinata reasoned, but were not allowed to say anything. It would have to stay a secret between her and Naruto.

She opened her eyes, blinking. _Just my and Naruto-kun's little secret. _Her lips curved upwards, a small blush accompanying them. _I guess it won't be _that_ bad._

A knock brought her out of her reverie. "Uchiha Sasuke to see you, Hinata-sama," came Ko's voice.

Hinata raised an eyebrow, lifting herself from the bed. _Sasuke-kun? _"One moment!" she called, quickly grabbing at her crutch.

She hobbled out the door where Sasuke was leaning against the wall opposite her room. "Er, hello, Sasuke-kun," she uttered awkwardly.

"Hey," replied Sasuke, pushing himself off the wall. "Have you eaten yet?"

_Not much for smalltalk, is he?_ "N-no," she replied, remembering that she hadn't had a bite to eat despite the ample time she'd had. _Too many distractions, I suppose._

"Let's go get something, then," said Sasuke, waving her over.

"Uh, okay," she said, making her way towards Sasuke. "Did you have some place in mind?"

"Wherever," he answered, beginning to walk. "Just... no sweets."

"Sure..." Hinata gulped nervously.

The two walked wordlessly down various streets, passing restaurants along the way. _This is weird..._ It was becoming painfully clear to Hinata that for all the time they had spent together on Team 7, Hinata and Sasuke had rarely ever held an extended conversation. She recalled that the last time she had talked at length about anything with Sasuke was the second portion of the chuunin exam and it had been about strategy over a month ago.

Eventually, Sasuke picked a small food vendor where he got some onigiri with tomato and Hinata ordered some _zenzai. _"You know, your room's not as big as I thought it would be," Sasuke said offhandedly.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"I thought the heir to the clan would have larger quarters."

Hinata sighed, her heart pounding harder. "The thing about that is... I'm not really the heir to the clan." Bracing herself for the revelation, she finished, "My little sister, Hanabi, is."

"Why's that?" Sasuke asked. Hinata couldn't gauge whether or not he was actually interested in the answer or just making conversation.

"A few years ago... we fought – just a little bit of training, you know – and she..." Hinata gulped. "She won. Father made her the heir pretty much immediately after..."

"I see..." said Sasuke, his eyes narrowing.

"Father doesn't really acknowledge me now," Hinata continued quietly. Now that that particular cat was out of the back, Hinata felt more comfortable divulging the rest of the story.

"He doesn't say, 'That's my girl,' or anything?" Sasuked asked, surprising Hinata with the forwardness of his question.

"Oh, no. Father hasn't said anything like that in..." She tried to think back. "In ever, really. He's actually said that I'm 'superfluous to the clan'." Judging by his faraway expression, Hinata guessed that Sasuke was quite deep in thought. "But," she said, drawing upon the determination she'd gained during her time on Team 7, "I want to prove him wrong, someday. I want to show him how much stronger I've gotten and make him acknowledge me."

"That's a fine goal," Sasuke said with a hint of a smile. "Good luck with that."

"Th-thank you," said Hinata quietly, surprised with how friendly Sasuke was being.

Silence returned to the conversation. Both Hinata and Sasuke contemplated the exchange they'd just had. When the food arrived, Sasuke asked, "Do you need any help?"

Hinata realized he was referring to her ability to use chopsticks. "Oh, n-no, thank you. I'm right-handed," she explained, then giggled a bit.

"What?" asked Sasuke.

"It's nothing," she answered. "Just... you and Naruto-kun aren't as different as you'd like to think, you know?"

Sasuke blinked, then let out a small chuckle, which was the opposite of the reaction Hinata had been expecting. "Guess not," he said, looking towards the sky.

"So, what did Kakashi-sensei want to talk to you about?" Hinata continued, seizing the opportunity for conversation.

"Eh," said Sasuke, his usual scowl returning. "He wanted to know if I used the mark during the battle with Gaara."

Hinata eyed the seal as casually as she could. "And...?"

"I told him the truth: I didn't." When Hinata didn't respond, he turned to look her straight in the eyes, making her jump a bit. "Hinata. I _didn't._"

"I'm glad," Hinata said quickly. "I still don't know what it is, but it can't be anything good... And besides, you're strong enough without it, right?" It was Sasuke's turn to not respond as he averted his gaze. "Sasuke-kun?"

"Yeah," he muttered, a dark edge to his voice.

"Speaking of that," her voice shrank, "I wanted to thank you... for saving me."

Sasuke let out a long breath. "It was nothing," he said coolly.

"I disagree, but maybe that's just because it was my life in the balance."

Sasuke spoke quickly, "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know," she said, flashing a small smile. Sasuke felt an unfamiliar emotional flare up in his chest at this stimulus. "Still, it was brave, and that Chidori was amazing."

"Not so amazing, apparently," he said, tilting his head towards her cast. "Naruto had to pull you out of that particular fire. That power of his..."

Hinata sensed the direction the conversation was taking and sought to cut it off. "We all worked together, Sasuke-kun. If either of you hadn't been there, I'd... well, you know."

"I guess," Sasuke uttered noncommittally, bringing the conversation thread to a halt.

After a moment, Hinata pushed forwards. "What's wrong, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her. "Hm?"

"This isn't like you. The Sasuke-kun I know is confident and decisive. He'll take apart his enemies with cunning and precision and then say something like," she gave her best Sasuke impression, "'Did you get hurt, chicken-kun?' when he knows it'll just make Naruto-kun angry." This elicited a minor bit of embarrassment from Sasuke as he recalled his line and to his own surprise, he gave a small chuckle.. Hinata was relieved her boldness was paying off. "So please, tell me. What's wrong?"

He paused, gathering his thoughts. "I didn't want to see someone precious to me die in front of my eyes again."

Hinata blinked. This was very much not what she expected. "Sasuke-kun..."

"My clan, they-" He stopped, unsure if he could bring himself to discuss it. "They..."

"I know," she said as gently as she could, hoping to prevent more internal struggle.

Sasuke looked at her with wide eyes."You do?"

"The kids at school... they talked about it, when we were around eight years old. They said you," the searched for a way to put it delicately. "You were the only Uchiha left, after the... incident."

Sasuke frowned. "I see."

She attempted quickly to cover. "_I_ didn't talk about it, I just heard-"

"It's okay, Hinata," said Sasuke with less anger than she'd expected; no anger, as a matter of fact, which was strange to her, considering the topic they'd opened up. "They didn't know exactly what happened, did they?" Hinata shook her head. "I mentioned on our first mission, the training exercise, that I have an ambition – someone I want to kill." His eyes became darker as his brow furrowed. "That man is the person who killed my clan: Uchiha Itachi. My brother."

Hinata's eyes snapped open: "Your... brother?"

"He killed my- our father, our mother, our whole family and left me alive... I don't know why," he ended with a lie, not wanting to divulge the truth about the Mangekyou Sharingan or Itach's challenege to meet him once more.

"Sasuke-kun, that's... I'm so sorry," Hinata whispered, her heart thumping under the gravity of what she'd just heard.

Sasuke gave a non-committal grunt. "The point is... When Gaara had you in his sand, I realized... I really didn't want you to get hurt."

"Are you saying that I'm someone precious to you?" she asked carefully.

"I guess so," he said, his voice a little less harsh than before.

"And Naruto-kun and Kakashi too, then?"

He chuckled again and a small grin made its way to his face. "Yeah. Them too." He glanced at Hinata. "But don't tell Naruto, got it?"

"Got it," Hinata repeated, matching his smile.

After a moment, Sasuke began, "You know, Hinata, I-"

"Hinata-sama!" called Neji, Byakugan active as he landed in front of the bench where they had eaten.

"Neji-Niisan?"

"Have you heard about Kakashi-sensei?" he asked, deactivating his eyes.

Hinata shook her head. "No, but I just saw him a few hours ago."

"Well, _less_ than a few hours ago he was hospitalized. Guy-sensei told me after he dropped him off."

Hinata and Sasuke exchanged looks of shock.

* * *

><p>"What could have done this to him?" Hinata wondered aloud as she gazed upon the face of her unconscious sensei, worry plain on her face.<p>

Sasuke was thinking something similar. Kakashi was one of the strongest people he knew, capable of easily defeating even Zabuza, yet someone had beaten him in what appeared to be a relatively simple manner. The attending physician hadn't told them anything aside from that Kakashi had suffered a severe traumatic attack on his psyche. Sasuke thought it reminiscent of a disablement via genjutsu, but... _Kakashi has the Sharingan. Normal genjutsu wouldn't work on him. The only one with enough power to do that is..._ He shook his head. _No, that's not possible. _"I don't know," Sasuke answered. "But whatever it is..."

"Excuse me," said a nurse entering the room. "Visiting hours are over. You'll have to come back tomorrow."

Sasuke and Hinata nodded and made their way out of the hospital. "Guess I'll go home," said Sasuke, turning to leave.

"Me too.." muttered Hinata.

"But hey," Sasuke said, looking at her over his shoulder, "You helped Naruto train before the chuunin exam finals, right?"

Hinata shrugged. "Mm... Only a little. Most of it was just his effort."

"I figured an idiot like him couldn't have gotten that strong on his own. So..." he scratched at his cheek and Hinata hid her amusement at how awkward he was being. "Would you mind helping me train sometime? Just while you and Kakashi heal, that is."

"I'd be glad to," she said with a smile. "I don't know how much help I'd be, but I'll give it shot."

"Alright then. Thanks." He gave a small wave and began walking towards the Uchiha land.

Hinata began her long trek back home, made longer by her inability to walk properly. Her smile faded as she put her crutch in the dirt. _Just when I thought everything was okay, here comes a new set of worries... _Again, the question echoed in her mind. _Who could have done this?_ _I should talk to Naruto-kun. _The doctor had told her that Naruto hadn't come to visit Kakashi, which struck Hinata as odd. It was possible that he hadn't heard, but on their way to the hospital Hinata and Sasuke had overheard no less than three conversations muttering about how the great Hatake Kakashi had been taken down.

It was at that moment that Hinata happened to wander past Ichiraku Ramen. On a whim, she decided to poke her head inside on the not-so-off-chance that Naruto happened to be gorging himself on ramen. As she entered, she was immediately disappointed by his absence.

Before she could leave, Teuchi called out to her, "Hinata-chan! Have you come you come looking for Naruto?"

"Oh, y-yes," she answered quickly, a little embarrassed at her own predictability.

"I'm afraid you've missed him. Jiraiya-sama came and took him away." He put his hand over his chin. "I think they said to Tanzaku? I'm not sure."

"Did they say when they'd be back?"

"Afraid not... It seemed like they were heading out for quite the lengthy trip, so I wouldn't wait up, if you don't mind my suggestion." He apparently noticed Hinata's dismay as he continued, "Would you care for a bowl to cheer you up?"

Hinata realized how obvious her expression was and quickly put on a smile. "N-no thank you. I've just eaten."

"Well, come back whenever you see fit, though I don't think that will be until Naruto comes back, eh?" He flashed a knowing grin.

Hinata blushed. "T-take care!" she said before crutching off as fast as she could in embarrassment. _Well, now what?_ She sighed to relief the heat in her cheeks. _Kakashi-sensei's in a coma, Naruto-kun's off on some adventure with Jiraiya-sama and I'm... just about useless,_ she added with a glance at her wrist. _I guess it's off to train my Byakugan._

Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her call, "Hinata!"

"Eh?" Hinata looked over her shoulder. Sakura was running towards her, energetic as ever and carrying what appeared to be a grocery bag. Hinata stopped in her tracks. _And this is exactly what I need,_ she thought with more bitterness than she realized_._ "Oh, Sakura-san. Sasuke-kun is probably still on his way home," she said quickly, hoping to end this conversation as quickly as possible.

Sakura blinked, confused. "Huh? Oh, no. I wasn't looking for Sasuke-kun, but thank you. I actually was hoping to find you."

_Me? _"What do you need?" Hinata kicked herself a little for the overly aggressive phrasing

"Well, first, have you heard about Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes, actually... Sasuke-kun and I went to visit him earlier. How did you...?"

"Kurenai-sensei told me. Apparently she was there when it happened."

A thought struck Hinata. "Did she happen to tell you what exactly occurred?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, sorry." She put her hand to her chin in contemplation. "In fact, now that you mention it, she was awfully vague about the whole thing... All I know is she, Asuma-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, and Guy-sensei fought some criminal missing-nin... And I guess they beat Kakashi-sensei pretty hard. Kurenai-sensei said they were really strong!"

Hinata's eyelids drooped in disappointment. "I see. Well, thank you anyway."

"The second thing is... I wanted to thank you for saving my life." A moment passed. "You know. When we fought Gaara..."

"Right, right." Hinata said hurriedly. She had been caught up pondering how repetitive today had turned out. "It's... it was nothing. Don't worry about it. You would have done the same thing for me."

"Still. I, uh, I thought you'd like a gift," Sakura said as she rummaged through her grocery bag, retrieving a small parcel. As Sakura offered it to her, Hinata realized that it was a box of cinnamon rolls. "Naruto told me you liked them," said Sakura quietly, as if ashamed to admit she'd even talked to Naruto. "I... I can get something else, if you want."

Hinata was in fact stunned at this display of kindness from Sakura of all people. "These are great," she said, taking the box. "Thank you, Sakura-san." She gave her a bright smile.

Sakura returned the expression. "No problem." She hefted the grocery bag in emphasis. "Mom and dad are expecting me at home for dinner soon, so I've got to go, but if you want to hang out some time, just, you know, contact me, okay?" Hinata nodded. "Great! See you, Hinata!" She waved and resumed running.

"See you..." Hinata muttered, a bit more amusement comprising her smile than before. _Did I just make a new friend?_

The walk home was much more pleasant from then on.

* * *

><p>Well, I guess I didn't quite get to Tsunade in this chapter, though her arc has clearly started. It's a shame, too, as I've got some neat stuff planned for the slug princess. This chapter was less action-packed than previous ones and shorter than the previous one despite the long wait; I apologize for that and hope you didn't find it too boring. I wanted to wrap some things up and bring out some more of Sasuke's character, as I know many of you have been wanting that.<p>

There is a major change here: Sasuke and Itachi do not meet. I wonder what sort of consequences that will have? Stay tuned, wonderful readers, and as always, please review!


	10. Switch

Sorry for the long delay, but I told you I wasn't giving up on this story that easily! Thanks for all your reviews! The 10th chapter to what is now my longest story, here we go!

Introduction:

Near or far, we are all reaching out for someone, somewhere.

We also wonder... is someone reaching out for us?

* * *

><p>Chapter 10: Switch<p>

A week would transpire before Sasuke took Hinata up on the training offer. During this time, Hinata trained up her Byakugan, practiced her cooking (mostly ramen, for some reason), and returned to her recently neglected hobby of flower-pressing, among other things. In her state, there wasn't much else to do, but it wasn't unpleasant. Civilian life wasn't so bad...

_Still no Naruto-kun._

It was a selfish thought and she knew it; or at least, the little voice in her head built from years of Hyuuga etiquette training said so. During her latest visit to the hospital, she had run into Guy, who had informed her that Tsunade, the medical genius of the Legendary Three, would be returning to Konoha soon enough to fix Kakashi and Lee. Hinata quickly put two and two together and figured that that's where Jiraiya and by extension Naruto would be, but Guy was overly whimsical at best and deliberately evasive at worst when answering her questions.

_I hope they all make it back soon,_ she thought and the little voice in her head did not stir.

Oh, how she hated that little voice.

* * *

><p>"Hello, Sasuke-kun," said Hinata pleasantly, sitting on her knees in the courtyard, her ankle healed enough to allow such a position.<p>

"Hey," said Sasuke from behind, walking towards her as a gust of wind blew in. "Training your Byakugan?"

"Yes." She turned her head, allowing Sasuke to see her active eyes. "This spot is good for that."

"How so?"

"Well, there's many aspects to the Byakugan. There's distance, which is trained by trying to count all the posts beyond this spot. There are twenty total, but I can only see ten. My father's said he can just barely see all of them at his limit." _Neji-niisan can only see nine, though, by last count, _she thought with some satisfaction.

"How far away are they?"

"The farthest one is ten miles." Sasuke whistled appreciatively. "There's also the high-volume shuriken launcher, which tests clarity, the lead-chakra maze-sphere, used to test depth penetrance, and of course, there's always just testing how long I'm able to keep it active..."

"Yeah? How long's that?" Sasuke asked, genuinely curious.

"My personal best is somewhere around twenty hours, by my guess." At Sasuke's inquisitive look, she continued. "It was in the Forest of Death when Orochimaru incapacitated you and Naruto-kun, I kept look out until Naruto-kun woke up. I'm not sure of the exact time, but it was the early morning, so..."

"You watched over us?" asked Sasuke, surprise etched clearly on his usually stoic face.

"What else was I supposed to do? It was the only way to keep you safe." She began to rise.

"Well, sorry for that. Here." Sasuke offered his hand to Hinata. "And... thanks."

She pulled herself to stand atop one foot. "No problem. I would never let anything happen to either of you."

Sasuke grinned at this. "So, you want to head to a training spot?"

"Sure. Do you have some place in mind?" she asked, grabbing her crutch.

"I do, actually," he said and began walking.

Hinata breathed a miniature sigh of relief that she wouldn't have to wander aimlessly, as happened with their previous outing. "Lead the way then," she said, crutching after him.

Eventually, Sasuke led her to a familiar area that Hinata recognized as the training ground in which she, Naruto and Sasuke had first become genin. She glanced over at the three posts by the war memorial where her team had officially become ninja and smiled.

Sasuke noticed her expression and mirrored it. "Memories, huh?"

"Yeah..." Hinata muttered. "I come here sometimes to train and think..."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "So do I."

Hinata made a confused face."Really? Now that you mention it, Naruto-kun said he comes here too. I wonder why we've never seen each other here before."

Sasuke shrugged. "Dunno. Anyway, you want to get started?"

She sat next to a large boulder. "Sure."

"How do you and Naruto usually do it?"

The phrasing made Hinata blush quite a bit and if Sasuke noticed he didn't say so. "I-I think you're giving me a bit too much credit. Usually I'm just here when Naruto's training and use my Byakugan to give him advice on chakra control. I don't know how much help I'll be to you, Sasuke-kun."

"Well, it can't hurt," Sasuke replied, doing some preliminary stretches. "How about this? I'll go through what I usually do. You watch with your Byakugan and tell me if there's anything I can tighten up."

"Okay. _Byakugan!" _With that signal, Sasuke began running through his taijutsu _kata. _Hinata paid as much attention as possible, but as always a small part of her thoughts was preoccupied. _I wish Naruto-kun were here._

The voice inside her head shook its imaginary head at her disdainfully.

* * *

><p>Naruto, meanwhile, was feeling less and less satisfaction at having burst a water balloon with chakra. The new exercise, blowing apart a rubber ball, proved to be far more difficult than he had expected and his so-called mentor was not helping by snoring while he worked.<p>

"Come on! Pop, you little rubber bastard! _Pop!" _he roared, but the ball defied him still. A loud noise gave him a brief glimpse of hope but that quickly dispelled when he realized that it had just been Jiraiya rousing from sleep.

"Hey, what's, ah, what's with all the ruckus?" asked Jiraiya sleepily. "You get it yet?"

"No, I haven't, and shut up, and I've _got this!" _Naruto barked.

Jiraiya grinned. "Oh, don't be so sour. It took the Fourth Hokage three _years _to come up with this jutsu, you know, and he was a lot more talented than you."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto waved him off, then sighed, deflating as he wished the stupid ball would. "I wish Hinata were here," he said softly.

That he was so quiet compared to his usual exuberance pushed the smile from Jiraiya's face, replacing it with curiosity. "Why's that, exactly?"

"Hinata's always been really helpful when I've trained. I bet I could get this easy if she were around."

Jiraiya chuckled, shaking his head at how foolish his previous thought had been. "Well, suck it up. You need to stand on your own feet. You can't just rely on your friends all the time." His voice took on an uncharacteristic sadness. "Trust me, I know."

"I get it, I get it," Naruto groaned, his energy back. "I'll do it on my own! Now either give me some pointers or buzz off, 'cause I can't concentrate with your stupid snoring!"

"Concentrate, eh?" Jiraiya removed a pen from his pack and headed towards Naruto. "Give me your palm."

Naruto blinked, confused, and extended his hand.

* * *

><p>Sasuke finished his kata, and for all the intricate techniques he had performed, he hadn't even broken a sweat. "So?" he asked, settling himself.<p>

Hinata jumped a bit, having gotten lost in Sasuke's moves. "Oh, uhm, there was a lot of stuff in there. I recognized the Academy Standard Taijutsu, but aside from that..."

"The middle part was the Strong Fist - Rock Lee's style, or at least whatever Kakashi taught me of it. The last section was traditional Uchiha taijutsu."

"I kind of guessed that from the fireball." Hinata drew a deep breath and let it out quickly. "Well, Sasuke-kun, like I thought, there's not really anything for me to help you with. You are, as they say, a genius."

"'As they say?'" Sasuke repeated, amused look on his face.

This unusual joviality in his expression bolstered her. "Oh, come on. You know what people say about you; you're not _that_ introverted. At the very least, you knew your grades in the academy."

"I guess so," Sasuke uttered coolly. "I wish I could learn the Gentle Fist. It sounds incredibly _powerful_."

Though the tone of his voice when he said "powerful" struck her a tad too intense, she asked, "How do you know about the Gentle Fist?"

"Kakashi talked about it when we were training. He figured I needed to know in the event that I had to fight Neji." He shrugged. "You know. In case Naruto lost."

Hinata smiled at the knowledge that even Kakashi's worst fears hadn't come to pass because Naruto had triumphed. "It _is_ supposedly the most powerful taijutsu in all of Konoha, but judging from your and Lee-san's battles with Gaara, if I'd had the Strong Fist's speed I may have fared better."

"Maybe I could teach you some of it," Sasuke said easily.

"Oh, I don't know, Sasuke-kun," said Hinata, noting Sasuke's offer. "It took you, with the Sharingan, a month of near constant training to learn it; I don't think I'd be able to do it with whatever time we have until Kakashi-sensei recovers."

"Most of that was just learning elemental transformation. The physical part was easy. Speaking of which..." He took a combat stance. "Maybe you can give me some help with this, then." Swiftly forming three seals, he roared, _"Chidori!" _On cue, a bird-like crackle permeated the air as Sasuke's hand erupted with lightning. He rushed towards the boulder next to Hinata, thrust his arm into it, and tunneled through to the other end. As he emerged, the jutsu faded and he asked, "Any advice?"

"Well..." She thought of the best way to describe it. "Your chakra efficiency could be a _bit_ higher."

"How so?"

"You seem to spend a lot of energy forcing chakra through your palm. Try _easing_ it through."

"Easier said than done."

"It might not give you another shot, but it should let you not be as tired when you hit your limit."

Sasuke gazed at his hand, turning it up and down. "I'll give it a try. Thanks."

"No problem." Grabbing her crutch, Hinata began to make her way out of the training area. "Sorry I wasn't able to be more help."

"It's alright..." Sasuke muttered, looking at his feet. "But... maybe you could stick around some time and give me some more pointers. Y'know, just in case."

"Sasuke-kun," said Hinata with a no-nonsense tone, "If you want to spend time with a friend, all you need to do is ask." Sasuke did not respond. "Also, maybe I could get Neji-niisan to spar with you, if that's something you'd be interested in."

After a moment, Sasuke answered, "I'll see you later, Hinata."

Hinata smiled. "Mm-hm." With that, Hinata hobbled off.

* * *

><p>The next three days passed rather uneventfully, with just more of the same. Training, cooking (the ramen tasted better, but she couldn't quite get that Ichiraku spark), flower-pressing, and, of course, a dash of worrying became Hinata's routine.<p>

On the fourth day, Hinata decided to pay Kakashi another visit. When she arrived, she discovered that

Asuma and Kurenai had also apparently decided to visit Kakashi. She hesitated, not wanting to interrupt their time, and instead waited just outside the room.

She would later speculate that it was perhaps due to Naruto's influence that she activated her Byakugan and peered into the room regardless.

"And he hasn't gotten any better?" asked Kurenai.

"No... whatever happened to him, it's something that can't just be treated, apparently," answered Asuma, fingering a cigarette. His hand itched towards his lighter, but better judgment prevailed and his pouch remained unopened.

"It's unbelievable," Kurenai muttered. Her voice took on a soft tone. "Can I tell you something?"

"'Course," Asuma said warmly.

"I feel... kind of ashamed about what happened. I mean, I'm supposed to be _the_ genjutsu specialist, right? But I got tossed around by _just_ genjutsu. I could barely look Sakura in the face the day after, you know?"

_I should go..._ Hinata told herself. The voice in her head seemed appeased by this. She lifted her crutch, ready to step away.

Asuma let out the sort of breath that might normally accompany a puff of smoke. "I understand, but you can't beat yourself up about it. This is a genuine Uchiha Sharingan we're talking about, after all."

Hinata froze, crutch in midair. _What?_

"And as if that weren't bad enough, it was that _Mangekyou_ Sharingan," continued Asuma. "Even Kakashi couldn't stand up to it."

_Mangekyou Sharingan?_

"Yeah... I can't believe that sort of power exists, and yet..."

"And yet there it is."

"There it is."

Gently, Asuma put his arm around Kurenai and let out a sigh. "Geez. Uchiha freakin' Itachi."

Hinata barely managed to suppress her gasp. Her heart began pounding. Unsure of what else to do, she deactivated her Byakugan and, quietly as she could, hobbled her way out of the hospital and back home.

* * *

><p>She slammed the door to her room shut and for a few seconds simply leaned against it, eyes still wide from what she'd heard. Her brain was still parsing the information, trying to sort it into concrete logic and speculation.<p>

_Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke-kun's brother, who killed almost his entire clan, was in Konoha. _That much she knew for certain. _He bested Kurenai-sensei and crippled Kakashi-sensei. _Was that certain? No, she knew Kakashi could not have beaten Itachi, but it may have been something else that rendered him comatose.

"Mangekyou Sharingan..." she muttered to herself. What _was _that? Asuma and Kurenai had implied that it was some sort of more powerful version of the Sharingan. For all the Uchiha's vaunted power, she had never heard of it. Maybe Sasuke knew something about it.

_Why was Uchiha Itachi in Konoha?_ It didn't make sense to her that he would come back, rough up some jounin, and leave. What was he after? _Was he here to finish off Sasuke-kun? _From Sasuke's description, it sounded like something Itachi would do, but it didn't add up with his actions. Sasuke wasn't exactly difficult to locate, and if Itachi had defeated even Kakashi...

Hinata shook her head, settling herself on her bed. It was useless to try and contemplate it with what limited knowledge she had. She could try asking Sasuke, but no doubt it would be stressful if he knew. Still, Hinata knew that she should tell him the truth.

Shouldn't she?

"Hinata." Sasuke's voice accompanied a knock at her door that ejected her from her thoughts.

_Okay, _she thought as she pulled open the door. _I guess I'll be telling him pretty soon._ "Hello, Sasuke-kun," she said, trying to put on as genuine a smile as she could muster. "What's... going on?"

Sasuke tilted his head down the hallway. "That Ko guy let me in. I was figuring I could spar with Neji for a bit, like you said." He grinned. "And, you know, maybe I just wanted to spend some time with a friend."

Hinata's smile turned true. "That sounds good, Sasuke-kun. I'll see if Neji-niisan is available. _Byakugan!" _She focused on the largest part of the Hyuuga complex. "Ah, there he is. Follow me." They began walking towards the main dojo. "Since the chuunin exam, father has been training Neji-niisan when Hanabi-chan is in the academy," she explained. "I'm sure father wouldn't mind a break..." When they arrived at the entrance to the dojo, Hinata held up her good hand and Sasuke stopped. "Wait here. I'll talk to my father."

Sasuke shrugged. "Sure, whatever."

Hiashi seemed to sense Hinata approach and dropped his combat stance, signaling Neji to do the same. "Hello, Hinata," he said without facing her. "What do you need?"

Hinata gulped. "H-hello, father. I'm sorry to bother you, but... I was wondering if Sasuke-kun could take a turn training with Neji-niisan."

"Neji and I are training at the moment," he said flatly. Neji's gaze switched from his uncle to his cousin.

"Yes..." Hinata took a deep breath. "But Neji-niisan has a wealth of experience training against the Byakugan and Gentle Fist. I thought it would be good for Neji to gain some training against the Uchiha... and the Sharingan."

After a second, Hiashi turned his neck to glance at Hinata and she repressed a smile. She could see her gambit working. "You make a fair point," Hiashi muttered. Another moment passed and he directed his gaze at Neji. "Neji. We will cease our training session now and you will train with Uchiha-san." He began walking towards the other door of the training hall. "Report back to me when you are finished."

As Hiashi passed, Neji stepped towards Hinata. "That was impressive, Hinata-sama."

Hinata revealed her grin. "I know my father better than anyone. He couldn't resist an opportunity like this." She looked back towards the entrance of the dojo and called, "Sasuke-kun! You can come in now!"

Sasuke approached, stopping next to Hinata. "Neji," he greeted.

"Sasuke," Neji returned.

An awkward silence passed over them and Hinata resisted rolling her eyes at their respective intimidation attempts. "So," she said, taking the initiative, "You boys should get started and I'll just watch from over here." She took a seat at nearby bench, laying her crutch down next to her.

As she had hoped, Neji and Sasuke loosened up. "Do you need a bit of warmup?" asked Neji.

"I think I'll be alright," Sasuke answered, stretching out his limbs. "Give me whatever you've got."

"As you wish." Taking his fighting stance, Neji activated his Byakugan and rushed at Sasuke. "_Here I come!"_

Sasuke dodged, but Neji predicted his movement and shifted his weight, striking Sasuke firmly in the chest. Letting out a grunt of surprise and pain, Sasuke was sent flying backwards, landing on his back. Hinata stared wide-eyed, shocked that Sasuke had been toppled so easily. "Are you sure you wouldn't prefer a warmup?" Neji offered again.

Sasuke flipped forward, darting at Neji with his fist raised. Neji attempted a block but Sasuke feinted, weaving through Neji's guard and landing a punch on Neji's face. "Positive," Sasuke answered.

Recovering from the blow, Neji saw that above Sasuke's grin were two Sharingan staring right at him. _His style... it's a lot like Lee's, but those eyes of his make it far more powerful. This'll be good training._ Neji returned Sasuke's expression. "Very well." He resumed his fighting stance.

As they clashed again, Hinata gazed on, open-mouthed. _Wow..._ she thought, having activated her Byakugan so she could better follow the fight. _They're both amazing. I should keep a close watch... maybe I can use this improve my own taijutsu._

* * *

><p>Eventually, after a particularly forceful clash, Sasuke and Neji separated, both breathing heavily. Neji glanced at the position of the sun outside. "Not that this hasn't been fun..." he muttered, dropping his arms to his side, "But we've been going at this for a while. Let's say we call it a day for now?"<p>

Sasuke relaxed, his eyes returning to their standard black state. "Sure. How about we pick this up tomorrow?"

"Works for me," said Neji, deactivating his Byakugan. "I'm going to report to Hiashi-sama. I'll see you later, Sasuke. Hinata-sama." With a bow, he began walking towards the main meeting hall.

Sasuke approached Hinata and she noticed an uncharacteristic smile on his face. It wasn't the cocky grin he usually held when he felt confident about defeating an opponent. Could it be he had actually enjoyed himself? "Here," said Hinata, handing him a cloth.

"Thanks," Sasuke replied as he began wiping the sweat from his face. "Neji's tougher than I thought."

"Naruto-kun beat him," she chimed in reflexively, then caught herself and added, "He did use ninjutsu, though."

"Mm." A silence overtook them. "I think I'm going to head out. See you."

"Oh, okay," Hinata muttered as Sasuke stepped away. "See you tomorrow!" she called with attempted enthusiasm, but it was weakened by the thought that she'd offended him. She sighed with the realization that she had also neglected to tell Sasuke the truth about Itachi.

_Maybe tomorrow._

* * *

><p>The next day would prove to be not so fruitful, as she did not catch Sasuke before he and Neji began their training. Evidently, Hinata had slept late, most likely from worrying deep into the night, and Sasuke, in his usual efficient manner, had heard from Ko that she was still asleep and chose to find Neji instead.<p>

A small part of Hinata could not help but feel slighted, though the voice in her head chastised her for it, and as always, she wondered what Naruto was up to.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hyohh!"<em> Naruto roared, charging his palm with chakra while his other hand agitated it. "Come on. _Come on!_" He held the mass of chakra in his hand as steadily as possible, but it revolted against him, bursting violently. Naruto was thrown backwards by the rush of chakra and landed squarely on his back, pushing the air out of his lungs. "Damn it!" he cried as he recovered, pounding the ground with his fist. At this rate, he would never win the bet with Tsunade. _It's too hard,_ he whined inwardly as he rose to his feet. _This level of chakra control... it's on a different level from anything I've ever done before._

Naruto began to mold chakra. Once more, he wished that Hinata were there with him. Not only would she help him get a handle on this technique, but he could just picture her cute smile and encouraging words of praise. _Wait,_ he realized. _Cute? Since when have I thought Hinata was cute? I mean, I guess she is, but..._

This loss in focus cost him, as the mass of chakra in his hands destabilized explosively and Naruto was blown backwards yet again. "God _damn _it!" He yelled.

The day would not proceed much more successfully than that.

* * *

><p>Neji and Sasuke had completed their training session and Sasuke had taken off with little chitchat, as was his way. As Hinata waved goodbye to her teammate, Neji approached her and said "Excuse me, Hinata-sama, may I ask you something?"<p>

"Of course. What is it?"

Neji took a deep breath. "Sasuke has been hanging around here quite often... I was just wondering... do you... like him?"

"Sure. What's not to like?" Hinata said easily, noting that the question did not quite deserve Neji's apparent trepidation.

Neji blinked, as if surprised at the quickness or perhaps bluntness of her question. "I see," he said quietly. "I will take my leave now, Hinata-sama," he added with a bow and began walking away from her.

Hinata shrugged and began walking back to her room. She was halfway there when the true meaning of Neji's question struck her like a rock to the head. Her eyes widened into saucers and she swiveled around on her crutch, as if to chase after Neji, though she knew it wasn't worth the effort: Neji was in a talk with her father at this time and her father did not like interruption. _Oh, what have I done now? _she asked herself with a sigh. She knew her inner voice would be incredibly noisy later that night.

* * *

><p>Days passed with more frequent visits from Sasuke. On these days, Neji seemed even more ferocious during training, though Sasuke did not appear to pick up on it. Occasionally, after training, Sasuke would ask Hinata to get food with him and once he even let her cook for him. It was a nice opportunity to see if her culinary practice had yielded good results and Sasuke seemed to enjoy her cooking.<p>

This tranquil dance effectively masked the turmoil Hinata fought with inside. Each day, Hinata urged herself to ask about Itachi, but seeing Sasuke so happy, so _peaceful_ for once just ate that desire away.

Then, one day, something changed.

* * *

><p>Hinata sat on a bed in an examination room in Konoha's hospital, waiting. It was checkup day for her arm and leg. She knew wouldn't be losing the crutch or cast, but the doctor said he needed to make sure she was healing properly. Such extensive damage, he'd said, could easily heal improperly and create lifelong mobility problems.<p>

She glanced at the clock on the wall, noting how long it had been since she had been directed to a room. Usually, Seikei-sensei was prompt with seeing her. _Maybe he has a lot of patients today,_ she reasoned.

A small sound brought her attention to the doorway: "_Bueh._" _Was that a pig's grunt?_ Hinata wondered. _Would someone really bring a pig to a hospital?_ Her question was answered as the presumed origin of the grunt waddled through the doorway. Hinata stared incredulously at the pig until the woman following it stepped in after. She was slender with short brown hair and large, dark eyes. In her arms were several folders. Setting them on the counter, the woman plucked one out of the pile and began reading it.

Just as Hinata was about to say something, the woman asked, "You are Hyuuga Hinata-san, correct?"

"Oh, uhm, yes," Hinata answered quietly.

"Excellent." Saying nothing else, the woman began inspecting Hinata, moving her head with one hand and taking notes with the other. Closing the folder, she stepped back and said, "She'll be with you in a bit," and as if that were the most normal farewell ever, strode out of the room. "Come, Tonton," she added and the pig followed, grunting all the way.

"Um..."_ She?_ was the the first question on Hinata's mind. Her doctor was a man... perhaps it was a nurse that needed to run some tests and no one had told her.

The sound of footsteps approaching brought Hinata's focus back to the doorway. Another woman walked in, but this time, only one word rang in Hinata's mind.

_Beautiful._

She was not referring to the woman's physical appearance, though the word most certainly applied there too. Instead, it was everything else that struck such a powerful chord with Hinata. Her stride, her expression, her shoulders – everything about this woman radiated powerful confidence. By just looking, Hinata could read plain as day that the woman in front of her held great pride in her strength and was unquestionably justified by that strength. It made her feel completely inadequate, like she was back in the academy struggling to speak without a stutter.

She wished that one day she could carry herself like that.

"Hinata, right?" said the woman.

"Ye..." Hinata attempted, but her throat was dry. She cleared it and tried again. "Y-yes, that's me."

"Great." She flipped open the folder the other woman had left and ran a finger down it, humming while she did so. "Okay, this shouldn't be so bad. That kid made it sound much worse. Leg."

She pointed and Hinata only realized after a second that it was an instruction. Gingerly, she raised her wounded ankle. The woman's hands began glowing green as she removed the splint and began waving her hands over it. Hinata wondered what she was doing as she couldn't feel anything happening to her ankle.

"So, Naruto tells me you make your own medicine," the woman said suddenly, not taking her eyes off of Hinata's ankle.

"H-huh? Oh, r-right." The fact that this woman, so gorgeous and buxom, knew and apparently had spoken to Naruto enough to know about his teammates inspired a bit of irrational jealousy in Hinata. But the rational part of her brain functioned independently, putting the pieces together bit by bit.

"Would you mind if I had a look at it? If you have some with you, that is," said the woman.

"S-sure," Hinata muttered, fishing a container of her ointment out of the pocket of her jacket. The woman snatched it casually, opened it with one hand, took some cream between her fingers and placed the jar back on the examination bed.

"Hmm..." The woman rubbed the cream between her still glowing fingers and small beads of the cream began levitating around her hand. "Interesting... And you've never had any medical training whatsoever?"

"N-no... W-well, except for s-some academy textbooks..."

"Just those, eh? Impressive." Her hands ceased to glow. "Alright. Let's see your arm."

Hinata lowered her leg and extended her wrist, wondering if she would do the same glowing inspection on this limb. Instead, the woman put a single finger at her wrist, right at the edge of the cast. A small bolt of electricity shot from her finger and before Hinata could pull her wrist away, it cut through the cast all the way to the far edge. With the same finger, the woman tapped the split cast and it fell away, sizzling to the floor. The green glow returned to her hands as she hovered them over Hinata's wrist.

After a moment, she sighed and Hinata immediately anticipated bad news. "Geez... at this rate, it'll hurt whenever it rains." She shot a glance directly at Hinata, who blushed, to her own surprise. "Seikei's the one who set this, right?"

"Yes..." Hinata mumbled quietly.

The woman sighed again. "I wonder if that kid ever listened to a single word I said during lectures."

Hinata blinked, confused. Seikei-sensei was the head of orthopedics, renowned throughout the hospital for his skills. In fact, Ko had specifically drawn from the ample funds of the Hyuuga to ensure that Hinata would receive top notch care from Seikei. He was at least forty – there was no way he was a "kid" of any kind. Who was this mysterious young woman, that she spoke about Seikei like he was some inexperienced genin?

The rational part of her brain finished putting together the puzzle. Medical specialist. Knew Naruto. Strong. _Is this Tsunade-sama?_

"I bet the only reason he attended those lectures was to ogle my chest," Tsunade continued. It was at that moment Hinata realized that she had been looking straight ahead while lost in thought, which put her line of sight right at Tsunade's cleavage. Hinata blushed deep, trying to look away with the best possible combination of swiftness and subtlety and hoped that Tsunade didn't notice. Her small chuckle was not encouraging.

Tsunade suddenly stopped waving her hands over Hinata's wrist and turned towards the cabinet on the wall. She began retrieving various vials and flasks and setting them on the counter. Hinata had recovered from her embarrassment attack to continue her train of thought. _But if this is Tsunade-sama... isn't she supposed to be in her fifties? I wonder..._ She activated her Byakugan and deactivated it a split second later. It was enough to provide her with the information she sought. _As I thought... She put a genjutsu on herself. _This only opened up more questions, but Tsunade turned around and Hinata focused intently on the concoction that Tsunade had mixed, not wanting to trigger more embarrassment.

Dipping her finger in the vial, Tsunade ran a line of the mixture over Hinata's wrist. The liquid tingled as it reached her skin, but not unpleasantly so. Once the liquid covered the length of where her cast used to be, Tsunade formed several seals at blinding speed and placed the very tip of her index finger upon the liquid without touching Hinata's wrist.

The liquid crackled, turning from a dull brown to a bright blue. Then, before her eyes, the liquid sank into Hinata's skin. Only her now wide eyes confirmed this: she didn't even feel the liquid passing through her. She gulped, realizing she had been breathing heavily as she had watched.

"Pretty cool, huh?" said Tsunade, noticing Hinata's shock. "Medical ninjutsu. It's amazing stuff."

"Yes..." Hinata whispered, breathless.

"Have you ever thought about joining the medical corps? I've always thought we could use more Hyuuga."

"Oh, ah, I d-don't think my f-father would approve of that..." Hinata mumbled, still in shock at what she had just witnessed.

Tsunade nodded knowingly. "Right, right. If I recall, the Hyuuga consider medical positions beneath them, which I always found a little insulting."

_It's just clan policy,_ Hinata wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Either way, that wrist'll be fine by tomorrow. You can leave the crutch here, someone will take care of it."

Hinata blinked, looking first at her wrist, then her ankle. "B-but... Seikei-sensei said it would take another couple of weeks to heal..."

Tsunade laughed. "Who are you going to trust? That breast-ogling brat or your new Hokage? Come on, take a step."

Something about the tone of her command compelled Hinata to obey without even registering what else she had said. She hopped off of the examination bed before her brain could decide that it was a bad idea, but when she landed, there was no pain. She stepped on the foot again and found the same result. She turned to Tsunade, a look of surprise on her face.

"What did I tell you? Your wrist'll be the same way when you wake up tomorrow. Have a nice day," she said and stepped through the doorway.

"W-wait!" Hinata squeaked with all the courage she could muster. Tsunade glanced back at her. More quietly, Hinata asked, "Is Naruto-kun back? Do you know where he is?"

Tsunade chuckled softly. "Yeah. He's right here," she answered, pointing her thumb just outside the door. "I made him stay outside and quiet while I worked. It made the complex ninjutsu I just did a lot easier, believe me." She turned to where she had gestured. "You can come in now."

Naruto bolted past Tsunade through the threshold and immediately embraced Hinata. Before Hinata's mind could adequately react, Tsunade bonked Naruto on the head. He released Hinata and turned to look at his attacker. "Ow! Hey, what's the big deal?"

"I _just_ got done fixing her wrist," Tsunade explained. "It still needs a bit more time to heal before it's completely fixed. Try not to snap it in the next twenty four hours, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," said Naruto, waving her off. "I didn't hurt you, right, Hinata?"

It took a moment for Hinata to respond, as she had forgotten that she was a part of the conversation in her stunned state. "No, not at all..." she said quietly.

"See, granny? She's fine," he said, making a face at Tsunade, who merely shook her head and walked away, chuckling to herself. "That old lady thinks she knows everything, just 'cause she's the new Hokage. Naruto turned back to Hinata. "Hey. Do you wanna get some ramen? I haven't eaten since I got back and I've been craving it! I can tell you all of the awesome things that I did while I was training, too!"

"I'd like that," Hinata responded quietly, as her heart pounded wildly.

"Great!" They exited the room and began making their way out of the hospital.

Once they left, Hinata gave a quick glance back at the building before saying, "Um, Naruto-kun..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad that you're back... I missed you," she added with a blush.

"I'm glad to be back." Naruto smiled wide at her and that smile washed away all the past month's stresses. "And I missed you too."

The voice in her head was silent.

* * *

><p>And that's that. Tsunade's in Konoha and has met Hinata. Sasuke is the only one of his team that doesn't know Itachi visited Konoha. Can the secret really stay safe? We'll see.<p>

You guys wanted more Sasuke, so here's more Sasuke. I've got big things planned for him, even if this is a NaruHina story (and it absolutely is, I promise that). This isn't the last time Tsunade and Hinata will talk, either.

As always, leave a review and I promise I'll try to get the next chapter in less than four and a half months!


	11. Sound

Author's note: Thanks for the reviews, everyone, and I'm really sorry about this gap between chapter releases. I swear I'm doing my best! Thank you for sticking by me!

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Introduction:

A sound appears to have two possible fates: to be heard or not.

This is not the case.

All sound has but one destiny: to fade away.

Chapter 11: Sound

"And then, and then, I used the Rasengan and it was _awesome! _Kabuto went flying!" Naruto exclaimed through a mouthful of noodles.

"Wow," said Hinata, appropriately impressed at the climax in Naruto's story. She had been quite surprised to hear that the same Kabuto who had healed her during the chuunin exam was the horrible Orochimaru's right-hand man, but at this point, she was willing to believe anything about Orochimaru. Equally shocking was Naruto's supposed mastery of an A-rank jutsu invented by the Fourth Hokage. "Can you show me the Rasengan?" she asked in her best "captivated audience member" voice.

Naruto grinned. He'd clearly been waiting for this. "Absolutely!" Hopping off his stool, he formed the cross seal and cried, "_Kagebunshin no jutsu!" _A clone manifested at his side and began to swirl chakra in his hand.

As she watched, Hinata activated her Byakugan, allowing her to see the exact flow of the chakra. _He's agitating the sphere, causing chaotic spirals of chakra, which build and build on one another... If he released it, the cumulative impact would be deadly._ "Amazing..." Hinata breathed, eyes wide as she analyzed the jutsu.

Suddenly, Naruto dispersed the ball and his clone disappeared. His grin was cockier than ever. "Right? Pervy Sage said it's even stronger than _chidori!_" He raised a triumphant fist. "I bet I could take Sasuke no problem now!"

Hinata maintained her smile, despite a small pang in her chest. She was unquestionably happy for Naruto, and yet... "You've gotten so strong, Naruto-kun," she muttered. _Already, it feels like I've been left behind..._

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah! Those missing-nin in the bingo book better watch out! Uzumaki Naruto is coming for them!"

This tickled something in Hinata's memory. "Naruto-kun," she said seriously, "Did you hear what happened to Kakashi-sensei?"

Naruto's expression sank. "Yeah... Granny Tsunade should be healing him right about now."

"Do you know what caused it?" she asked point-blank, looking into his eyes.

He looked away and gulped. "Well... I'm not a medic so..."

_Naruto-kun, you terrible liar. _"You know about Uchiha Itachi, don't you?"

Naruto's eyes went wide. "I don't- I mean-" he stammered, adjusting his collar nervously.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said with as much confidence as she could muster, her heart pounding at finally having a lead on the situation. "What do you know about this?"

Naruto glanced at the ramen stand, then back at Hinata. "... Let's take a walk," he said quietly. Hinata nodded, still trying to conceal her rapid heartbeat, and followed Naruto as began to walk away from Ichiraku.

* * *

><p>Miles and miles away, Kabuto watched as Orochimaru writhed in agony upon his makeshift hospital bed. "Curse that Tsunade," Orochimaru hissed, breathing heavily, his useless arms shuddering next to him. "Kabuto, we must act swiftly."<p>

Kabuto nodded. "Yes, Orochimaru-sama. What would you have me do?"

Orochimaru grinned despite the strain. "Deploy the Sound Four to retrieve our dear Sasuke-kun."

"At once, Orochimaru-sama," said Kabuto with a bow.

* * *

><p>"So Itachi came to Konoha for you," Hinata concluded from what Naruto had finished telling her.<p>

"Well, for this," he corrected, motioning to his abdomen, "but yeah, basically."

"And Kakashi-sensei fell trying to fight him." Hinata thought for a moment. "Naruto-kun... should we tell Sasuke-kun?"

Naruto blinked, then shook his head in frustration. "Geez, I hadn't even thought of that." He sighed. "If it were me... I'd want to know."

"That's true," uttered Hinata quietly. "But... killing Itachi is Sasuke-kun's goal. If we tell him, Sasuke-kun might do something dangerous..."

Naruto groaned. "Ugh. I don't feel good about keeping things like that a secret, but I also don't feel good about Sasuke chasing after a guy who could put Kakashi-sensei in a coma."

A moment passed. "Maybe... we could tell him together," Hinata piped up. "If we handle it together, we might be able to stop him from doing something reckless."

"Hmm." Naruto nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. Let's do it."

"How about this? I'll set it up for tomorrow at noon. Sasuke-kun should be training with Neji-niisan right about now."

Naruto cocked his head. "Eh? Sasuke and Neji?"

"Oh, they've been sparring for a couple of weeks now," Hinata explained hurriedly.

"I don't like the sound of that..." he grumbled. "Alright. You set it up, we'll meet at the old training ground. Sound good?" Hinata nodded. "Great. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

With that, he rushed off and Hinata sighed, letting her frown come forth. This would not be easy.

* * *

><p>Sasuke walked the halls of the Hyuuga complex, wiping sweat from his brow. The training session was intense, though not as rough as it could get. Sasuke had noticed that for whatever reason Neji fought more fiercely whenever Hinata was present. <em>Probably the branch house trying to impress the main house,<em> Sasuke concluded.

Coincidentally, Hinata happened to enter the hall he'd been walking down at just that moment. "Sasuke-kun!" she called and hopped over.

"Hey," he greeted plainly, then glanced at her ankle. "No cast? I thought it wasn't due to come off for another week."

"Huh?" she looked at her own feet. "Oh, right." Due to earlier conversation, Hinata had practically forgotten that she had left home that morning on a crutch. "No, Tsunade-sama fixed it up. Naruto-kun and Jiraiya-sama brought her back. They say she's going to be the new Hokage," she rambled.

Sasuke seemed nonplussed. "I see," he said. "Well, I was heading out. I'll see you later," he said.

"Wait, Sasuke-kun," Hinata said, trying not to let the urgency seep into her voice. "I talked to Naruto-kun and... we were thinking the three of us could get together at the training ground where we became genin, tomorrow?"

Sasuke waved her off "Not really interested, thanks."

Hinata had to resist a large sigh. "You know, Naruto-kun's learned a pretty amazing new jutsu. He said he wanted to show you that it could beat your chidori..."

Sasuke stopped in his tracks. "On second thought, let's meet up tomorrow after all." he suggested.

"Sure," said Hinata, smiling inwardly at her successful gambit. "I'll see you there at noon," she added, and the two parted ways.

* * *

><p>That night, Sasuke sat atop his bed, restless as ever. In his hand was a framed picture of him with his parents, taken what seemed like an eternity ago. In the picture, his father held his usual stoic expression, but his mother had smiled her loving smile. She was embracing Sasuke tightly as he gleefully (when was the last time he'd applied that word to himself?) displayed his first academy report card to the camera, pointing to the perfect grades.<p>

Sasuke could hardly recognize the child in the picture. He was different now – he had to be, if he was going to accomplish his goal. He wanted to believe that he kept this picture next to his bed so he could have a nice memory of his parents, but that was a lie. This picture was kindling for his rage, a renewable fuel for his ambition, a concentrated dose of what the rest of his house made him feel when he let his mind wander.

And yet…

Since the age of eight, whenever Sasuke closed his eyes, he would see his parents' corpses, fresh blood pouring from underneath them. This sight perpetually reignited his desire for revenge. But now, with that vision came a tinge of light, of laughter, of – dare he think it – _happiness. _It wasn't right. He was meant to be an avenger. Playing around with _friends_ would only distract from that.

_I need to take a walk,_ he decided and stepped out of the house.

It wasn't right. It couldn't be. But still he could not ignore that part of him that would look forward to just hanging out with Naruto and Hinata tomorrow.

"I'm sorry..." he muttered to the night sky.

"There's no need to apologize to us," said a voice behind Sasuke. He turned and saw four shinobi clad in gray clothes and large purple robe belts standing atop the building he had just exited. "That is, unless you do not wish to give us a moment of your time," the gray-haired one continued.

Sasuke immediately assumed a fighting stance. "Who the hell are you?" he asked.

The six-armed one began. "The Sound Four. Kidomaru of the East Gate."

"Likewise, Jiroubou of the South Gate."

"Likewise, Sakon of the West Gate."

"Likewise, Tayuya of the North Gate."

"We would like to have a discussion with you, at the request of Orochimaru-sama," said Sakon.

Sasuke's Sharingan flashed on. "There's no need for a discussion. I'm not interested," Sasuke answered.

"Listen, you little shit..." Tayuya began.

"Tayuya, you should not use that sort of language," said Jiroubou.

"You haven't even heard our offer," said Kidomaru. "Maybe it'll make you reconsider."

"I'm in a bad mood, so consider this your last chance: get off my property," said Sasuke. "or I'll make you."

Sakon raised his arms as if exasperated, but kept his smile. "No can do, I'm afraid."

Sasuke was on him before he could lower his arms, delivering a swift punch to Sakon's gut. _First strike: Hawk Seeks the Rabbit,_ he thought, going over the traditional Uchiha kata. _Next, an elbow to the face: Ignite the Canopy. _Already, the other three were circling around him. Tayuya prepared for a blow. _Reflection of the Water Wheel, _thought Sasuke, springing onto his hands for a double-legged kick to Tayuya's chest, allowing him to dodge Kidomaru's attack – Sasuke couldn't see it, but it looked like webbing of some sort. Landing, he swept behind Jiroubou. _Now, to loosen his footing: Fire Under the Mountain._ Jiroubou toppled as Sasuke kicked out the back of his knees. Sasuke jumped away to the edge of the roof, grinning cockily. _That sparring with Neji's been paying off._ "Still want to make that offer?"

"Not bad," said Sakon. He didn't seem fazed by either of Sasuke's attacks. "You were certainly trained by the same village as Orochimaru-sama. But you are wasting your potential. You are much weaker than you could be."

"What does that make you guys, then?" Sasuke taunted.

"Maybe it doesn't bother _you,_" Kidomaru said, brushing off Sasuke's comment. "But if I were so pathetically weak that my own brother didn't bother to see me when he came back to visit for the first time in years-"

"What?" Sasuke interrupted, scowling. "What are you talking about?"

"Did you ever find out what happened to your crapsack master?" Tayuya asked, grinning madly. "How many shinobi could sneak in the village, overcome four jounin, and put Hatake Kakashi in a coma? Besides Orochimaru-sama, that is."

Sasuke's eyes widened, but he remained silent.

"You seem to have figured it out," said Jiroubou. "The common enemy of you and Orochimaru-sama was in this village but a mere month ago... and you were not even the focus of his visit."

Sasuke could feel his heart pounding wildly. "You..." The rage in his veins prevented him from organizing his thoughts. "What... You..."

"I wonder why your friends didn't tell you," Sakon faux-mused aloud. "Perhaps they thought something terrible was to happen to you; they thought you were too weak?" Sasuke roared in rage, charging once more at Sakon, the cursed seal on his shoulder unleashed. This time, Sakon blocked Sasuke's strike. Sasuke stopped cold, shocked as he saw Sakon's own cursed seal. "As I said before, you are wasting your potential."

With his free arm, Sakon dealt Sasuke a blow that sent him flying. Sasuke barely managed to grab the edge of the roof. _Where did that strength come from? _he wondered, hoisting himself up.

"I see that I have your attention," Sakon said, letting the curse mark recede. "You could have power like this – even more, from what Orochimaru-sama tells us of the great Uchiha clan." Sasuke merely glared. "How about this? Think about it for now. We'll be back within the week for your answer."

The Sound Four disappeared. Sasuke grasped at the empty air, shouting, "Wait!" but to no avail. \He forced his cursed seal back, groaning from the strain the small use had cost him. _Damn it..._ he looked to the sky, ruminating on what he'd heard. Itachi had returned. Naruto and Hinata knew. Could it be? Sasuke had no reason to believe Orochimaru's thugs, but what they said made sense. He'd ask his teammates – his supposed _friends –_ tomorrow.

It couldn't come soon enough.

Meanwhile, as the Sound Four bounded through the trees to their hiding spot, Kidomaru asked, "Should we have just left like that? Maybe he would've gone with us if we'd leaned a little harder."

Sakon smiled, self-satisfied. "You should know that rage accelerates the body's acclimation to the cursed seal," he answered. "He reacted as Orochimaru-sama predicted when we told him about his brother. Taking him now, there might be some resistance. But now that we've planted that seed in his heart... soon enough, his bonds will be poisoned and he'll be ready."

* * *

><p>Hinata awoke without reaching for her crutch for the first time. She enjoyed the feeling of pushing herself off the bed with two hands for the first time in a month. Today would start, she decided, not with boring civilian activities; no, today would start with training. After donning her outfit, she briskly jogged to one of the secondary training halls. They were usually empty this early in the morning, so she could whale on a wooden man in peace. It was the perfect chance to test what she'd gathered from watching Sasuke and Neji spar.<p>

Her expression turned to a frown at the thought of Sasuke. Today she'd be telling him the truth about Itachi. Despite her resolve, it wasn't exactly something she was jumping to do. But she knew that with Naruto by her side, they'd get through this too.

_Right?_

After her routine with the wooden man, Hinata made her way towards the meeting spot. Her pace was quicker than usual; she couldn't help but revel in newly regained mobility and the promise of seeing Naruto always added a spring to her step despite their unfortunate business. She arrived at the training ground and headed towards the three posts near the war memorial, figuring that's where they'd meet. To her surprise, she saw only Sasuke there, even though it was five minutes to noon.

_He's early... and looks terrible,_ she thought as she approached. Sasuke had bags under his non-Sharingan red eyes. "Hello, Sasuke-kun," she began. "How are you?"

"Hinata," he said in a voice that sounded like a growl. She expected him to continue, but instead he merely stood there, his breathing steady but becoming harder with each breath.

"Sasuke...kun?" Hinata was worried. _He can't know, can he?_

"I thought I'd wait until Naruto got here, but I don't think I can," he said quietly, as if holding himself back from something. "I'll ask you point-blank. Did you know?"

Hinata's heart beat rapidly. "D-did I know wh-what?"

"Itachi." The second he said it, Hinata's eyes widened by the smallest amount. It was enough for Sasuke to perceive. "I see. And how long have you known?"

Hinata gulped. "For a few weeks..." she muttered. "I heard a few weeks ago, accidentally." "_Why?!_"he roared, startling Hinata. "_Why _didn't you_ tell me?!"_

"I... I..." Hinata struggled to speak. She'd never seen Sasuke like this.

"I _trusted _you! _I_ _told_ you about Itachi! I told you about what I wanted to do if I ever found him! And you didn't think it was worth it to _tell me?" _His Sharingan had activated, an angry red now staring at Hinata.

"I wanted to," Hinata said, her voice almost at a whisper. She felt her face getting hot. "I really did, Sasuke-kun, but I didn't know how to-"

"You didn't know how to _what?"_

"Whoa, what's all the ruckus?" came Naruto's voice as he landed next to them.

"Stay out of this, Naruto!" Sasuke barked.

"Geez, what's your problem?" Naruto retaliated, then caught himself. "Wait, Hinata did you tell him?"

Sasuke stared at Naruto, mouth agape. "You... knew too?" he asked quietly. "So it was just me?"

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto only knew because... because..." Hinata was so upset she almost couldn't finish her statement. She could feel the heat collecting near her eyes. "Naruto-kun _met_ him..."

Silence. A gust of wind passed over them. "Where?" Sasuke asked Naruto.

"Huh?"

"Where did you meet him?"

"The hotel town near Tanzaku," Naruto explained softly. "In the Kanryo Inn."

Sasuke turned to leave. Hinata reached after him. "But Sasuke-kun, he's probably long gone by now-"

"Shut up," Sasuke growled, looking back over his shoulder. "You two, who are supposed to be my _comrades,_ didn't want to help me." He began to run. "So clearly I'll have to do it my_self!"_

"Sasuke!" Naruto called, but Sasuke did not answer, bolting away from them. "Damn, he's fast... well, that went well."

"Sasuke-kun..." Hinata worried.

"Don't worry. He'll come back," Naruto said, attempting to reassure her. "Right?"

Hinata remained silent.

* * *

><p>Sasuke reached the inn in a relatively short paced. Yes, the manager had seen the man with dark hair, but it was a month ago; he couldn't recall much. No, he had no idea where he'd gone. Sure, he could inspect the wreckage from the recent damage to the building, but he didn't know why Sasuke would find it interesting. It was mostly repaired, anyway.<p>

_Damn it,_ thought Sasuke as he ran through the village. _Damn it, damn it, _damn _it!_ Fresh rage pumped through his veins every second with no way to vent it. All he could think to do was run; run to every store in the village and ask if they knew anything about Itachi. But no one did and Sasuke grew even more enraged. For hours upon hours, Sasuke searched for just the slightest clue, the smallest hint. But Itachi seemed as thorough as ever. No one could recall anything about him.

He ran without tiring, eventually finding himself in the woods near Tanzaku. He'd gone there thinking he'd seen a suspicious crow flying in that direction – Itachi's trademark. To Sasuke, this was as good a lead as any.

Night had fallen through his search and rain was pouring. Sasuke knew he had to act fast or the trail would fade. "Itachi!" he called out into the woods. "Come out of your hiding place, you bastard! I _know_ you're here!"

A rustling to his left. He dashed towards the sound and found nothing but a rabbit hopping out of a bush. He stared at it with his Sharingan, looking for strange chakra imprints. It could be a trap, set by Itachi to lure Sasuke into a false sense of security, but the rabbit didn't have anything except what looked like normal chakra flow. "Stop with the tricks! Come and face me! Face my vengeance!" Sasuke howled into the night.

Time passed and still no appearance from Itachi. Sasuke refused to give up. He was close; he could _feel_ it. One wrong step and Itachi would get the jump on him, but Sasuke would not – _could _not let that happen.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt a hand on his shoulder. _Finally! _Heart rate jumping, he performed three seals in rapid succession and turned to strike. "Take this! _Chidori!"_ he roared, thrusting his fist towards his attacker.

Just as quickly, Sasuke stopped his arm. Itachi had not in fact been behind him. Instead, a mere inch from his lightning-covered hand, Sasuke saw Hinata's face, Byakugan active. Her expression held neither shock, nor fear, despite the deadly jutsu a few hair's breadths in front of her. Instead, Sasuke recognized it as raw sorrow. The level of pain in her face touched something deep within him and he relaxed his muscles, deactivating both the Chidori and his Sharingan. "Hinata..." he muttered, stunned.

Hinata extended her arm, covering the drenched Sasuke with her umbrella. "Sasuke-kun... let's go home," she said quietly.

A part of Sasuke wanted to protest, to lash out and tell her off, but that part was shrinking the more he looked at her. Once it had subsided sufficiently, he nodded and the two began walking back.

When they arrived back in the hotel town, Hinata deactivated her Byakugan. She hadn't said a word the whole way back; she just held the umbrella above them and Sasuke felt an awful feeling welling up within him. It felt like shame and was getting worse the longer they stayed quiet. Sasuke needed to break the silence. As they walked through the streets, he asked, "How did you find me?"

After a moment to gather her thoughts, she answered, "When you didn't come back, Naruto-kun and I decided to search for you. We wanted to find you as soon as possible, so we came here. We've been looking for the last two days in shifts... Naruto-kun went back a couple of hours ago."

_It's already been three days? _Sasuke hadn't realized that much time had passed, so consumed with his mission had he been. His exhaustion was only starting to hit him now. "I see," he mumbled tonelessly.

After some time that to Sasuke seemed longer than the duration of his fruitless chase, they arrived at the main gates of the village. He did not protest when Hinata turned in the direction of the Uchiha lands, instead choosing to follow her. Compounded on top of the shame he felt earlier, Sasuke now felt guilt rising with every silent step.

Finally, they arrived at Sasuke's home, stopping in his kitchen. After Hinata put the umbrella away, she motioned for Sasuke to sit, then brought out her medicinal cream. "Let's get you cleaned up," she said quietly.

Sasuke didn't know what she was talking about, then realized he'd been running carelessly through thorny bramble and muddy forest. He glanced down at his arms and saw various cuts and scrapes, only now feeling the pain. Hinata gave him an expectant look and he extended his arms, allowing her to begin applying the cream.

"You didn't have to come find me," he said, feeling it needed to be.

"I know," she replied quietly. "But we were worried and thought you might be in trouble, so we went looking. That's what friends do, right?" Sasuke said nothing. After a second, Hinata continued, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Itachi."

Sasuke's eyes widened briefly. He hadn't expected that. "Well," he said, quietly steeling himself, "maybe you were right not to..."

"I did want to tell you, but I couldn't find the words or the time to do it," Hinata explained. "You seemed so different from before... I didn't want to change that."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"You were smiling," she answered quietly, applying bandages to the wounds on Sasuke's limbs. "Not all the time, of course – hold still – but you seemed happier than before, and I thought telling you about Itachi would ruin that."

"My..." _My happiness is none of your business,_ he wanted to say, but the words would not come. Perhaps deep inside of him, better judgment was prevailing. "It's okay," he said instead. "Thanks... for worrying about me."

"That's what friends do, right?" Hinata repeated, standing up and capping her medicine. "I bet you're hungry... let me make you something."

_You don't have to_, he wanted to say, but the words would not come once more. Instead, he nodded and watched as Hinata set some rice to cook. He was hungry after all, quite starving, actually. "Could you... pour me a glass of water?" he asked quietly. He'd barely hydrated himself during his search and he was feeling the effects heavily now.

"Sure," she said and handed him the cup.

Sasuke sipped – he new better than to drink deep after such a long time without – and felt marginally better, though his hunger was even more potent now. He glanced at Hinata: she was wearing an old apron, one he had not seen since his mother had worn it five years ago. It stirred something inside Sasuke, a mix of emotions. Comfort and hurt swirled around each other in his heart, a yin and yang of feeling.

"How did you find out?" Hinata asked as she prepared the meal.

Sasuke thought for a moment. "... Some jounin let it slip when I went to visit Kakashi," Sasuke lied. He didn't want to tell her about the Sound Four's visit... not just yet.

"Ah," said Hinata, taking it at face value. Unbeknownst to Sasuke, that had been the precise means by which Hinata had found out as well. "Well, here you go. I hope it's good," she said, placing the meal in front of Sasuke.

It was onigiri served with katsuobushi and tomatoes. His favorite. Sasuke stared down at the meal, still frowning, as he felt his emotions reach their boiling point. "Itadakimasu," he mumbled and took the ball of rice into his mouth. The taste bounced around his tongue as the signal propagated through his taste buds and reached his mind, accessing memories of eating this very food with his family so many years ago.

Perhaps it was his exhaustion or perhaps Hinata was truly a talented chef, but to Sasuke, it tasted just like his mother used to make.

From the expression on his face, Hinata grew worried. "Is it bad?" she asked quietly. "I can make something else if you want."

"No," Sasuke said decisively. "It's fine. It's great, actually." He gulped, taking another bite. This awakened the hunger in him and he quickly consumed the entire meal.

"Well... for someone who ate so quickly, you don't look too pleased," Hinata said after a moment.

While he had eaten, Sasuke's heart had begun pounding ever harder. "I can't..." he muttered, not knowing where he could go with that sentence. "I..."

"Sasuke-kun?"

"I'm sorry," he choked out finally, staring at the floor. "I shouldn't... have done all this. I..."

He looked up to see Hinata grasping his hand, wearing a soft expression. "It's okay, Sasuke-kun. We all have bad times. I know that I can't make it better... but maybe I can help you be less lonely."

Sasuke blinked. "Thank you," he whispered.

Hinata nodded, standing. "It's nothing. Now, I'm going to get some rest and you should do the same, okay?"

"Okay," Sasuke murmured, getting to his feet. As he turned towards the hallway, he glanced back at her. "Goodnight, Hinata," he said and walked through the threshold.

Hinata smiled. "Goodnight."

As she left, Sasuke continued through the hallway to the Uchiha courtyard. Something had tripped the security switch earlier, letting Sasuke know that someone had entered his property. Sasuke found the source of the disturbance outside, where four figures stood waiting in the darkness.

"Do you have an answer for us?" asked Sakon.

* * *

><p>She should have gone to bed, Hinata told herself. After the past few days, especially with this most recent night, she really should have just gone back to the Hyuuga complex and slept. But she didn't, and now her inner voice was lecturing her relentlessly on how she absolutely should not be outside Naruto's residence. It was that voice that was restraining her from knocking on the door.<p>

_Just do it_, the more desirous part of her said. _Knock on the door and see if he's there._

A minute passed. No knock.

_He's probably asleep. I wouldn't want to wake him. I should just go._

Another minute. No movement.

_Really now. If I knock, he's just going to be mad. _

Suddenly, the door opened up. Naruto stood there, jacketless, but with his pajama hat upon his head. "Uh, hey," he said, half-smiling.

"H-hey," she replied, realizing that she had gone beet red.

"I couldn't sleep much, so I was gonna take a walk," he explained quickly. "But... I could use some company. Do you wanna come in?"

"Yes!" she said, then kicked herself for her excited tone. _Real smooth! _"I mean, yes, I would like that, if it's okay."

"C'mon in," he said, motioning for her to enter.

She followed, trying to get her pace to seem compliant but not overly eager. _Naruto-kun's apartment... I'm in it for the first time... _She could barely wrap her mind around that fact as she looked around, trying to take it all in at once. Empty ramen cups littered the place – they made her smile – but aside from that, the place was pretty drab. _It makes sense... Naruto-kun isn't exactly rich._

"You want anything? Food? Tea?" Naruto offered, opening his pantry. "I've got... uh, beef ramen, chicken ramen, pork ramen, spicy chicken ramen..." He trailed off, then chuckled nervously. "Heheh, I guess Kakashi-sensei was right when he said I should eat more vegetables."

"I'm okay, thank you," she said, taking a seat and then immediately chastising herself for doing so when not invited. Trying to put it out of her mind, she said, "I found Sasuke-kun."

Naruto shut the pantry and grinned. "Really? Awesome!" He laughed cheekily. "We've always gotta take care of him, huh?"

"Seems so," Hinata uttered. After a moment, she continued, "He has a heavy stone in his heart. It weighs on him constantly."

Naruto frowned. "Yeah, huh."

"But I want to help him carry that weight," she said quietly, looking at Naruto. "And I think he wants us to help him too."

Naruto gazed into her moonlit eyes, the pale discs shining at him and his smile returned. "Of course. That's what teamwork is all about! Just you wait. We'll get our next mission soon and Team 7 will be kickin' ass and takin' names!" Hinata laughed a small but genuine laugh at this, which sparked a laugh from Naruto as well. He hadn't realized before, but her laughter was... Well, the only way he could think to put it was _musical._ It was light and bouncy and sweet all at the same time. Something in him wanted to make her laugh more later. "Y'know, Hinata," he said. "I'm glad we're on the same team. I dunno if I could have handled this without you."

Hinata blushed deeply, but smiled nonetheless. "I-I f-feel the same way, N-Naruto-kun," she replied, blushing even harder at the return of her stutter.

The conversation between them picked up, quickly turning away from dreary topics and soon the two were just plain talking. There were few lulls, all swiftly overcome, and it wasn't until the late hours of the night that Hinata realized she should probably head home. It was with a heavy heart that she departed Naruto's residence, but not before he gave her a gentle embrace. That gave her the peace of mind to walk home with a smile on her face and a spring in her step.

* * *

><p>Sasuke sat up in his bed, staring at the wall. Truly exhausted though he was, sleep was not easily caught. His thoughts turned to his encounter with the Sound Four earlier that evening. <em>Have I made the right choice?<em> he wondered. _What will I do if I'm wrong?_

The night would not be an easy one for him.

* * *

><p>Dun dun DUN. The plot thickens.<p>

This chapter was hard to write, but necessary, I feel. I hope you guys like it, anyway. We'll be getting into some really heavy stuff in the next chapters, so hold on to your hats! As always, please review. Your reviews drive me forward to the next chapter and beyond!


	12. Deal

Author's note: Hey, it's been a while, but I still haven't given up on this story. Yes, I'm a massive asshole (masshole?) for not updating in years. Yes, you are wonderful for sticking by this story despite how pathetic I am. As for new readers, I welcome you and hope you enjoy this. I also hope I can update again soon. Things are about to get tricky.

Disclaimer: I am just a poor boy, though my story's seldom told, except on . I don't own any of it, including those lyrics.

Introduction:

Long nights necessitate long sleep. Awakenings following these sleep range from pleasant to quite rude. Indeed, sometimes, you may just wish you'd stayed asleep forever.

Chapter 12: Deal

When Hinata awoke, it was not with much energy; indeed, betrayed felt she by the supposed rest she'd received last night. Admittedly, staying out the night previous to chat up Naruto _had_ cost her a couple of hours, but still, she had no business waking up at this hour. Not on her day off. No, she decided she would simply drift off and claim the rest of her rightful sleep.

Eyes closed, she turned over. The thought that she could rest without worrying about her teammates for the first time in weeks would surely carry her off. Minutes passed with irritating consciousness. As she came upon an hour of fruitlessness, she sighed. A nagging thought poked at the back of her mind, yet she could not identify it. Was she forgetting something? She'd talk to Naruto about it later.

_Naruto-kun..._ A smile adorned her lips.

It _had_ been nice talking to him last night. Just the knowledge that she was at that level with him – that she could simply _be _around him put a smile on her face. Now, if only he would get along better with Sasuke... Naruto had been quite irate when Sasuke had not returned. Cries of "Stupid Sasuke" and "That idiot jerk" had not been rare and had only increased in frequency when Naruto had returned from his searching shift. They didn't bother Hinata much, as she knew these insults were rooted in more care and worry than derision and rage.

Hinata's eyes opened. _Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun haven't spoken since Sasuke-kun left. _Sasuke was still in a fragile emotional state, Hinata wagered, and she couldn't imagine that Naruto wouldn't leap at the chance to vent some frustration. _I may have to curtail this, _she thought as her eyelids fell once more, _but only after a few more hours of sleep..._

* * *

><p>When Sasuke awoke, it was later than he'd expected. A good night's sleep had been alien to him for years now; his usual hour of waking was closer to dawn than noon. Running around at maximum alertness for three days straight must have incurred a rather great sleep debt, he guessed. Last night, his body decided to collect.<p>

The long rest gave him a new perspective on the events of the previous night. He could now recollect with a more objective lens, even if he was still unsure of his decision...

"_Do you have an answer for us?" asked Sakon._

_Sasuke's heart thumped hard in his chest, knowing full well the ramifications of what he would say. This decision would change his life forever. He drew deep but quiet breaths so as not to alert the four to his mental state. Though he was beyond exhausted at this point, he activated his Sharingan, flashing the red in hopes of putting on an intimidating face._

"_There's no need for such a scary face," said Sakon. "A simple yes or no will suffice."_

_Sasuke balled his fists, digging into his palms with his nails. It was time to choose his path. _

"_No," he said simply._

_Sakon frowned. "No?" he repeated, head tilted._

_Tayuya leaned forward, anger plain on her face. "Listen, you little-"_

_Sakon held up an arm in front of her. "Very well. You have decided to side with Konoha." There was a hint of delight in his voice that bothered Sasuke, though he was too tired to analyze it further. "We will take our leave," he added with a hand signal. The four began to turn, giving Sakon looks of uncertainty._

_Sasuke exhaled, relieved that the encounter was over. _

_As he raised his leg to step, Sakon turned over his shoulder and added, "But if you should decide you desire a greater power than can be found in this meager playground... well, I'm sure a genius like yourself should be able to figure out how to contact us." The others smirked at this, and with a whooshing sound, they were gone._

_Sasuke stared at where they'd stood. His face bore a frown._

As Sasuke finished recalling the previous night, he realized his jaw was clenched and relaxed it. _I made the right choice,_he thought. _I don't need someone like Orochimaru to achieve my goal._ _I'll do it all on my own. _He looked out the window, towards the village, seeing the large Hokage building in the center of it all.

There was business to which he needed to attend.

* * *

><p>Hinata ambled down the streets of Konoha hours later, feeling much more rested and riding the wave of endorphins from her morning workout. It was refreshing, being back in the swing of things after being out of commission for so long, not to mention the time devoted to finding Sasuke.<p>

Her destination was Naruto's apartment. She relished the fact that she felt comfortable enough around him – and he around her – that she could simply appear on his doorstep and be treated to an afternoon of just hanging out. Perhaps she'd stop by Ichiraku and pick up a to-go bowl for him. It would be worth the detour and extra spending to see that delight at his all-time favorite hand-delivered to his door. Of course, if he'd already eaten... Hinata chuckled at that train of thought – Naruto's stomach could be full to bursting and he'd still scarf down Ichiraku like a starving man.

"Hinata!" a familiar voice called, pulling Hinata out of her Naruto-musings. Hinata turned to see Sakura and Ino, the former of which waved at her. "See? I told you it was her!" Sakura said to Ino.

Ino put her hands up in faux surrender. "All right, all right," she said as Hinata approached the pair. "You win. Don't get a big head about it – lord knows you don't need any more mass up there."

A brief scowl was Sakura's only response to Ino's taunt. "Kurenai-sensei has been teaching me about chakra-sensing, so I thought I'd show Ino by finding your chakra," Sakura told Hinata, who looked impressed. "We were gonna hit up that new cafe. You should totally join us!"

Hinata blinked, a bit confused. She hadn't heard about any cafe and had no idea why she was suddenly being invited to this outing. _I suppose I've been preoccupied lately and Sakura-san and I _are_ friends now. _"O-okay," she said carefully. "I was just going to visit Naruto-kun, but I guess I can-"

"Yeah, Naruto can wait! C'mon, this'll be our first real girls' day out!" interjected Sakura, beginning to walk. Hinata and Ino followed.

Minutes later, the girls were seated at a table in the cafe, drinking tea and sharing a plate of assorted pastries and sweets. Hinata scanned the room: with little exception, the customers seemed to be only teenage girls. Combined with the advertisement of low calorie snacks, Hinata began to speculate why Ino and Sakura were so keen on coming here.

"Mm," said Ino after downing a spoonful of pudding. "I'm _so_ glad this place opened right after I started my diet, especially since I'm sure Chouji's gonna pig out and steal all my food as usual when we go to Yakiniku-Q today."

"Yeah, you sure could use it," Sakura jabbed with a grin, grabbing some easy revenge for Ino's earlier taunt. "Maybe Shino's bugs wouldn't have been so attracted to you if you weren't such a fat pig."

Ino snapped back, "Well, at least I _made it_ to the finals!" but quickly shut her mouth, realizing too late that her implication applied to more than just Sakura. "I-I mean... I didn't have to fight Neji, so... I had it easy, compared to... uh..." she trailed off awkwardly.

Hinata had averted her eyes while Ino tried to dig herself out and noticed the brown hair buns of another customer. "Speaking of Neji-niisan..." she muttered. "Tenten-san? Is that you?" she called to the girl.

Tenten wheeled around and a smile of recognition bloomed on her face. "Hey!" she said, skipping over to the table while Ino looked relieved at a change of subject. "Guy-sensei's doing some one-on-one training with Lee and Neji's got some kinda Hyuuga duties – I guess you know about those. I heard this place had great almond biscuits and I couldn't resist checking it out. You hear about this place too?"

Hinata shook her head. "These two invited me," Hinata said. "I didn't know this place even existed."

"We were just talking about the chuunin exams, if you'd like to join us," said Sakura, gesturing to the table.

"Well, if I get a share of these treats," said Tenten, pulling up a chair with a wide grin, "then I'd love to." As she popped a biscuit in her mouth, her grin faded and her brow furrowed. "Ugh, the chuunin exams, though. That was pretty embarrassing for me."

"You fought one of those sand shinobi," Sakura said kindly. "There's no shame in losing to them. They were all really strong, right Hinata?"

"Yes..." Hinata said, her voice low while she recalled their struggle. The memories were softened somewhat as she remembered rather swift victory against Kankuro.

"I wish I'd faced _them_ instead of bug boy!" Ino groaned. "I _still_ feel the creepy-crawlies and It's been over a month."

"Trust me - no you don't," Sakura insisted, a dark tone to her voice that surprised Hinata a bit. "Gaara was... well, if Hinata and Sasuke-kun hadn't been there, I wouldn't be here right now."

"Oh, it – I didn't really do that much," Hinata uttered quietly. "Naruto-kun did most of the work."

"I'll admit, I didn't expect Naruto to be that good," Sakura said resignedly, though her expression revealed delight in looking down on Naruto. "The big idiot actually pulled it off. I bet you gave him that killer strategy, though, Hinata."

"He's _not_ an idiot," Hinata said. When she spoke, it was neither a shout nor a scream. Indeed, it was just barely above her normal speech volume. Despite this, Ino, Tenten, and Sakura turned their gazes directly towards her, all three silent. Sakura's face bore the hint of instinctual fear. Hinata did not fully understand why _that_ was the last straw. Perhaps it was that Naruto had saved _all_ their lives from Gaara, Sakura included. Perhaps it was that nothing he did ever seemed to be enough for people; beating Kiba, Neji, and Gaara apparently meant nothing. Perhaps she simply wished to set the record straight.

When she spoke again, she made sure her voice was much quieter. "Naruto-kun came up with that strategy all by himself. He told me he started thinking about it during my fight with Neji-niisan. He wasn't just passively watching; he was observing, knowing that if I lost, he'd eventually have to fight him. He is much more intelligent than most people think. They just have to see it happen first, usually." Hinata could already feel the heat building in her cheeks. She resisted it as much as possible, not wanting her usual blush to undercut her point.

"Uh, w-wow," Sakura said after an awkward moment and cleared her throat. "I never thought about him like that." She averted her eyes as redness creeped onto her face. "I kinda feel like a bit of a jerk for saying all that stuff now."

"Well, what do you expect, insulting Naruto around Hinata?" said Ino. "It'd be like if someone badmouthed Sasuke-kun around you or me."

Sakura blinked. "What're you talking about?" she asked. Ino leaned towards Sakura, giving her an incredulous look. "Are you saying..." Hinata tensed, suddenly realizing how Sakura was about to finish her question. "Are you saying Hinata _likes_ Naruto?"

Hinata felt her veins turn to ice and she could swear her heart stopped beating. Her jaw opened as if to say something, but no words would emerge.

Ino scowled, slowly reached her closed fist over Sakura's head, and bonked the top of it with a dull thud. "Ow!" Sakura squealed, rubbing the spot Ino had hit. "What was _that_ for?"

"I was just checking to see if that massive skull of yours is hollow after all. I don't know what's in there, but there's definitely no brain!" Before Sakura could protest, Ino continued, "Hinata's feelings for Naruto are _obvious! _Just spend five minutes around them while they're in the same room!" She shrugged and let out an emphatic sigh. "I swear, Sakura, you might be book smart, but you don't know_ anything_ when it comes to boys and girls."

Sakura looked ready to throttle Ino at this point, but Tenten's voice cut in before she could make her move. "Is it true, Hinata?" Tenten looked at the now beet red girl, brown eyes wide. "Do you like Naruto?"

Hinata's blood thawed and her heartbeat resumed, although now at a maddening pace, as if to make up for lost time. Her ears were on fire and she was starting to get dizzy. She began to speak in a tiny voice, "I..." _Don't faint,_ she told herself. _You've been good about that lately. Don't ruin it now by fainting._ "That is, I..."She couldn't bring herself to look Tenten in the eye. "Naruto-kun is..."

"Oh wow, it _is _true," Tenten muttered. Hinata could feel the room begin to spin.

"Right?" said Ino jovially. "We've been talking about this for, what, a minute and a half at most and boom, you get it just like that." She wagged her index finger at Sakura. "Tsk tsk, forehead. A shinobi's supposed to have better perceptive ability than that, you know."

Sakura, who seemed to have forgotten her anger for a second, reignited immediately. "Listen," she growled, "Maybe I didn't pick up on it because I was too busy focusing on Sasuke-kun! Ever think about that?"

Tenten brushed past the two bickering Kunoichi and looked back at Hinata. "Well, I think that's great," she said with a smile.

The world began to steady around Hinata. "Y-you do?" she managed to squeak.

"Of course. Naruto seems like an all right guy. A little loud for my tastes, but I can't say that I don't like how Neji's been ever since their fight." She gave Hinata a thumbs-up. "I think it's great for you to have a dream like that."

Hinata finally felt enough ground underneath her to properly speak. "I used to watch him when we were in the academy. He wasn't really that popular... but no matter how people treated him, no matter how much he struggled, he never gave up." She took a deep breath. "I really admired that... and being on a team with him, it's been..." She gulped a little.

"You don't have to say anymore," Tenten said softly. "I understand."

"Can I ask a favor?" Hinata said, her voice at a whisper. "Could you guys please not tell anyone?"

Ino and Sakura, who had started to come to blows – rather, to hair-pulling – paused and disentangled from yanking each others' locks. They looked at Hinata, then back to each other, and smiled. "Of course," said Ino. "I mean, I'm pretty sure most people our age know – not all of them are as dense as pinky here."

Sakura gave Ino a punch on the arm for this, but maintained her smile at Hinata. "But we won't tell Naruto, which I think is what you mean," Sakura said. "What're friends for, right?"

Hinata blushed again, this time not out of embarrassment. "Thank you," she said quietly and bowed lightly.

* * *

><p>When Kakashi awoke, it was with a small groan. Today was his day to be discharged from the hospital.<p>

Tsunade had woken him up from his coma and then subsequently berated him a few days ago. Part of him was relieved to finally be able to get back to missions, but he had been grateful for the chance to catch up on reading Icha Icha Violence. It was a thrilling novel, so different from the first. Maybe he'd get the chance to talk to Jiraiya about it before he disappeared again.

The sound of footsteps approaching his room reached his ear: no doubt a medic had arrived to officially release him. "Come in," he said to the knock at the door. As it opened, his right eye widened at the appearance of Sasuke standing at the threshold. "Sasuke?"

"Hey, Kakashi," said Sasuke, his tone as flat as always.

"I'm going to be honest," said Kakashi, "I didn't think you'd be the sort to check up on your dear old sensei in the hospital. What brings you here?"

Sasuke walked forwards, quietly closing the door behind him, and stood at Kakashi's bed. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I know Itachi is the one who did this to you."

It was only Kakashi's expert training that allowed him to remain stoic. Kakashi thought for sure that the jounin who knew about his defeat at Itachi's hands would know better than to let it slip around Sasuke. _Although, Guy has been known to mouth off at inappropriate times,_ he reasoned. He'd have to investigate later. "Is that so?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," Sasuke returned at a similar volume.

"And... what of it?"

Sasuke took a breath before answering, "Itachi is stronger than you. _I_ need to be stronger than Itachi. What am I going to do about that?" There was a hint of desperation in his tone.

Kakashi couldn't deny Sasuke's statement. Itachi had laid him out flat and escaped unscathed. That jutsu... he'd have to devise a counter, possibly consult Guy on the matter. "Sasuke," he said gently, "You should forget about revenge. Nothing good will come of pursuing it." The change in Sasuke's expression told him that was the wrong answer.

"What if he comes _back_?" Sasuke growled, rage pouring into his voice. Kakashi noted he didn't deny his desire for revenge. "What if he tries to kill you or Naruto or Hinata? _Huh_? What am I supposed to do if I'm _too weak_ to stop him?"

Kakashi wanted to raise an eyebrow at this, but stopped himself. After a pause, he answered, "I can make you stronger than I am."

Sasuke's face softened by a degree. He narrowed his eyes at Kakashi, intrigued.

As Kakashi looked to continue, the door opened again, revealing Tsunade at the doorway. "Sounds like quite a racket," she said, entering. "Ah, Sasuke. Didn't expect to see you here. I was just coming to check on this kid to see if he's really ready to get out of here. I bet you were yelling at him for being such a weakling when everyone calls him a genius, eh?"

Sasuke almost laughed at the degree of accuracy of her words. "I just wanted to talk," he answered.

"Sure, sure," said Tsunade, not wanting to force it. "I've got to give him an examination. Would you mind leaving the room for the duration?"

"Uh-huh," Sasuke muttered and walked out. Before closing the door behind him, he glanced over his shoulder at Kakashi, his eyes still intrigued. "We'll talk later." It didn't seem to be a question.

"Little brat," Tsunade muttered after the door closed. As she began checking Kakashi's extremities, she asked, "How's he been on your team? Pain in the ass?"

"Less than you'd think," Kakashi said softly. "Surprisingly, he seems to be getting along relatively well with his teammates, no doubt due in part to Hinata's kind influence."

"Ahh," said Tsunade. "Speaking of, what is her deal?"

"Hinata's?" Kakashi thought for a moment. "She didn't start out as talented as Sasuke, though not as abysmal as Naruto. Indeed, a large part of the incredible growth you've witnessed in Naruto can be attribute to her, to some degree."

"Hmm," said Tsunade, the sort "hmm" that said "_Keep elaborating."_

"As you know, she is heiress to the prodigious Hyuuga, although Hiashi-dono seems to think she has no talent."

"Hiashi's a sightless dolt," Tsunade remarked. Kakashi felt the sudden insult to the head of the most powerful clan in the village was a tad jarring. "What kind of genin can make a medical salve better than the one carried standard by chuunin using only research, practice, and intuition? A genin who's got loads of talent in her. I'd love to have her in the medical corps."

"If I recall, she would be forbidden by clan policy-"

"I know!" Tsunade barked. "Those stuck up old farts, they think that saving the lives of your fellow shinobi is 'beneath them.' Blech. Hinata seems different, though, from the small interaction I've had with her."

"She is," said Kakashi. "If she had enough bravery to stand up to her father, I'm sure she would be eager to learn how to heal people rather than hurt them. It would certainly suit her demeanor. Perhaps if she hangs around Naruto more..."

"That's right!" Tsunade snapped her fingers in realization. "That's right. I need to talk to you about something important. It's about Naruto."

* * *

><p><em>Knock, knock, knock.<em>

When Naruto awoke, it was already past noon. Last night, he'd gone to bed much later than usual, but he didn't regret it. It had been a relief to hear that Hinata had found Sasuke. Naruto had put up a confident front when Sasuke had sprinted away so as not to worry Hinata, but he'd carried his share of anxiety. Last night had been nice for relieving some of that and Hinata was always good company.

"Hnh," Naruto grumbled at the sound that had roused him from slumber. Maybe he'd just dreamed the knock and he could go right back to sleep.

_Knock, knock, knock._

"Alright already, one second, one second!" called Naruto, springing out of bed.

Naruto swung the door open, yelling, "_What the hell do you- _oh!" His expression shifted to one of confusion. "Hinata? What, uh, what're you doing here?" he asked more quietly.

_Gods, I must look like such a stalker, _she thought as her blush manifested. "I, uh, just w-wanted to see how you were doing?" she said awkwardly.

He scratched the back of his head. "Well, until about a second ago, I was asleep," he said, forcing a small laugh.

Hinata's blush deepened. "Sorry..." _This was a dumb idea._

"Nah, it's good that you came!" Naruto said quickly, sensing her discomfiture. "I found a message from the old lady; think it came while we were looking for Sasuke. She wants me to come up to her office, I dunno what for. Wanna come with?"

"S-sure," Hinata said quickly, thankful for a chance to back out of her embarrassment.

After Naruto changed into his usual attire, the two set out for the Hokage's office and Hinata told Naruto about her girls' date a few hours earlier. "You saw Sakura-chan, eh? Did she talk about me?" Naruto asked with a wide, hopeful smile.

"A little," Hinata muttered, recalling her brief criticism with a bit of embarrassment. "Mostly we talked about the chuunin exams."

"Good times," said Naruto. "I kicked Neji's ass pretty good, huh?"

Hinata smiled. "Mm-hm."

As they approached the main governmental building of Konoha, they caught sight of Shikamaru and Shikaku exiting the building. "Hey!" Naruto called, racing over to the two. "Shikamaru! And, uh, Shikamaru's dad! What's up?"

"Just taking care of some business," Shikamaru answered casually, putting a thumb under the shoulder of his flak jacket.

Naruto looked at Shikamaru's attire and his eyes went wide. "Wait... did you get _promoted?_" he asked.

"Obviously."

Naruto frowned. "What the hell? Why do _you _get to be a chuunin! I'm the one that beat Neji!"

Shikamaru worked out the situation in his head and decided, _I'll just let him find out on his own._ "I guess they just thought I was good enough. I hear the new Hokage wants to speak with you." Shikaku chuckled a bit as he reached a similar conclusion to his son's.

"Yeah, that's where we're going!" said Naruto.

"Well, I won't keep you any longer. See you later, Naruto, Hinata," Shikamaru said and he and his father began walking off.

"Congratulations, Shikamaru-san," Hinata said quietly as they left. Shikamaru waved his thanks behind his back.

"That Shikamaru..." Naruto muttered, hand on chin. "I guess his strategy _was_ pretty good." Hinata nodded and the two entered the Hokage building.

As they reached the main office, Naruto barged in. "All right, I'm here. What's the deal?" he asked loudly. Hinata skulked in quietly after, trying to diminish her presence as much as possible.

Tsunade dropped the pen she'd held and put her hands up in disbelief. "Do you not know basic manners? As in, knock before entering the Hokage's office?"

Naruto scoffed. "Don't ask me here if you don't want me here. I'm a busy guy! I don't have time to waste."

Tsunade looked ready to bite his head off, but Kakashi made his presence known by interjecting, "Perhaps then we should get down to business, eh, Tsunade-sama?"

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, "What're you doing here?"

"You'll see in a moment," Kakashi said easily, thumbing through his book.

Tsunade glanced at Kakashi, then sighed, stifling her anger. "Yes. Let's get to it." She cleared her throat and recomposed herself. "Uzumaki Naruto. Do you understand the responsibilities set upon you in your new position and do you promise to fulfill them to the best of your abilities?"

Naruto blinked. "Uh, what? I don't know what you're talking about."

Tsunade's anger seemed to be rebuilding. "Are you serious? You're being promoted, idiot. What did you think I meant when I wrote 'Visit the Hokage's office to officiate your advancement?' on the message I sent you?"

"H-hang on," said Naruto, shock clear on his face. "Me? Promoted? As in, to _chuunin?_"

Tsunade sighed. "I'm starting to think this was a bad idea," she muttered quietly. Kakashi gave her an awkward smile, somewhat embarrassed by his student. "Yes," she said at normal volume. "I've reviewed the accounts written by the official examiners at the finals. During your match, you displayed sufficient logical reasoning, strategic planning, and patience so as to achieve victory with little detriment to yourself." Tsunade saw the blatant lack of understanding on Naruto's face. "In other words, you were able to defeat Hyuuga Neji, this year's favorite among the Konoha genin, without him landing a single blow on you. If I'd been at those exams, I'd probably have lost a lot of money on that fight," she added with a smile. "Both Kakashi and Iruka have given me their recommendations. With all that in mind, I ask again. Uzumaki Naruto, do you understand the responsibilities set upon you in your new position and do you promise to fulfill them to the best of your abilities?"

Naruto looked at Tsunade in awe. He glanced at Kakashi, as if asking permission, and Kakashi nodded, smiling. "I do," said Naruto.

Tsunade stood, grasping the plastic package containing the flak jacket and the envelope containing his certificate in her left hand. As she walked around her desk to approach Naruto, she outstretched her right hand and said, "Then as the Fifth Hokage of the village of Konohagakure, I hereby officially promote you to the rank of chuunin, effective immediately. Congratultaions. You've earned it."

It seemed that for a moment, Naruto was frozen. Then, moving with extreme swiftness, he lunged at a surprised Tsunade, wrapping his arms around her. "Thank you!" he squealed, "Thank you, thank you thank you!"

"Whoa there, kid," she said, trying to gently pull him off of her without hurting him. "Calm down a bit, this isn't-"

"I did it!" Naruto yelled, snatching the flak jacket and certificate from Tsunade and raising them above his head. "I'm a chuunin!"

Hinata, whose heart had swelled upon realizing what was going on, quietly piped up, "Oh, Naruto-"

She was cut off by Naruto's sudden embrace, even tighter than when he'd returned to the village. Her face went crimson immediately. He pulled back, holding Hinata's shoulders. "Hinata! Can you believe it? I'm a chuunin! I couldn't have done it without you!" he said ecstatically, staring into her wide eyes and smiling elatedly.

"Very huggy today, isn't he?" Tsunade noted, somewhat amused.

Though Hinata's heart threatened to explode out of her chest, she answered his smile with a small one of her own and said, "Congratulations, Naruto-kun. I'm so happy for you."

"Indeed," said Kakashi, approaching Naruto. Naruto attempted to give him a hug as well, but Kakashi caught his forehead with his palm and pushed him back. "None for me, thanks. But I will also offer my congratulations." He smiled, moving his hand to the top of Naruto's head and mussing his hair. "You're the first on Team 7 to become a chuunin. I'm proud of you."

Naruto beamed, clutching the flak jacket to his chest. "I'm gonna go try this on! See ya later, Hinata, Kakashi-sensei, Granny Tsunade!" he said and raced out the door at top speed.

Tsunade chuckled. "That kid... he's on his way," she said gently. "He'll be a great Hokage one day." Hinata smiled at these words while Kakashi made a noise of agreement.

"Well, I'll be heading off," Kakashi said, closing his book and replacing it in his vest's pouch. "Hinata, I'll contact you when we get a mission. Excuse me, Tsunade-sama," he finished with a bow and strolled out of the office.

Hinata watched, still processing what had just transpired, and jumped slightly as Tsunade said, "Is there something else you needed, Hinata?"

"Oh, n-no," Hinata answered quickly. "Excuse me, Tsunade-sama," she said and also offered a bow before quickly leaving the office. _Naruto-kun is so great... he's already a chuunin,_ she thought as she made her way out of the building. As she approached a crossroads, she looked down the direction towards her home before turning, deciding to head towards her usual training ground instead. Clenching a fist, she decided, _I'll train harder than ever so that next time, I'll definitely get there too. I promise._

As Hinata headed towards the field for training, she had left her Byakugan deactivated, and thus was unaware of the four pairs of eyes watching her.

"What're we doing watching this little bitch?" Tayuya asked, cranky as ever.

"Tayuya, language," Jirobo chided.

"Shut it, fatass! We need to work on our mission! It's Orochimaru-sama's orders!"

Sakon smiled. "Patience, Tayuya. Sasuke-kun refused our offer. There's not much we can do in the way of convincing him directly at this point. The seed of light in his heart is no doubt being nurtured by interfering forces," he said, pointing at the running Hinata. "But there is, of course, a seed of darkness that still lies deep within him as well."

He motioned and the Sound Four began to move as a unit. "As the nurturers of that seed, if we are to let it blossom into Orochimaru-sama's power, we must first pluck out the seed of light once and for all," he said. "And if we are to do that, we must eliminate any and all interference."

The wind blew past them as they moved through the trees. Around them, leaves fluttered idly.

* * *

><p>So I think this is a decently long chapter to break the hiatus. Not much moved forward, plot-wise, admittedly, but I really wanted to get some character interactions going on before shit gets real. I wanted to set the stage for the chaos that all of you likely have figured out by now. But at least I got to add in Naruto becoming a chuunin, which I know many of you were expecting andor hoping for. We'll see how that affects the timeline soon enough.

I don't plan on abandoning this story again any time soon, but then again, I never plan on abandoning my stories; it just kind of happens. I am dedicated to keeping this going as long as I can, though, so as always, thank you for reading and if you liked it, leave a review! See ya next time.


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